


How to Heal Claw Marks

by Kaisho



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Banter, Blood and Injury, Catra doesn't know how to people, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, No Beta, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Harm, Were-Creatures, Werecat Catra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:53:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 75,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25188238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaisho/pseuds/Kaisho
Summary: Catra is always hiding parts of herself. Her appearance, her past, and most of all, what she really is. The fear of showing her true self causes her to lash out and hurt people. In a twist of fate, she meets Adora, a former medic trying to get a fresh start in a small town. As their circumstances start to entwine, the two of them find that they might be able to help each other more than they first thought. That is, if they can push aside their greatest insecurities and fears.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 217
Kudos: 777





	1. Chapter 1

Once again, Catra is on the run.  


Her lungs burn and her paws ache, but the only thing that matters to her is to _keep moving._  


There is no way to know how long she had been running. Maybe an hour, maybe several. It is hard to tell without the moon guiding her.  


Emotions don’t usually come to Catra during her time in this form. More often than not, she runs on instinct alone while shifted. But it's always different when she runs away like this. She has to make a new life for herself. She doesn’t care where, as long as she’s away, and nobody knows who she is. It's painful for her, picking herself back up and starting again, but there is no other choice for her this time.  


Lightning flashes through the dark sky above. Catra, consumed in thought, refuses to pay attention to her surroundings. She is beyond exhausted, and fails to notice how slow she is moving. The bottoms of her paws are numb at this point, and the grass feels no different from the paved road that is now beneath her.  


A flickering light catches her eye. The beast's head turns to its source, and the brightness of a vehicle’s headlights soon fully emerges from behind the trees. Normally she would have been able to react quicker to duck and disappear back into the forest, but in her worn out, dazed state, Catra can only make an effort to turn around and try to lessen the blow.  


Luckily, the vehicle swerves and only grazes the side of her hip, drawing a harsh yowl from her as the pickup truck screeches to a stop. The unmistakable sound of a metal door opening makes Catra’s ears flatten against her head.  


Her fears are confirmed as she hears light footsteps against the pavement coming toward her.  


_Shit._ This is bad.  


She lacks the energy to run away quick enough. So, she does the only other thing she knows how to do in this form.  


Catra suddenly turns toward the human, hackles raising and her mouth in a harsh, threatening snarl. She makes herself as big as she physically can, and is able to tower over the human easily when she stands on two legs, rather than all fours.  


Another flash of lightning. Catra is sure that she looks like the scariest thing this human has ever seen.  


Looking down at her victim, Catra is able to see her clearly for the first time. It looks like a woman who has to be in her early 20’s. Blonde hair, blue eyes, she looks like a typical preppy girl; the type that Catra can’t stand.  


What catches Catra's attention the most, however, is the way this woman is looking at her.  


The beast had accidentally run into humans before, most of her kind eventually did. Every single time they were cornered like this, they screamed, cried, or begged for their lives in the presence of a monster like her.  


But, for some reason, this woman is looking up at her with more awe than fear. Mouth agape and eyes wide, piercing into the beast’s soul with a disturbed kind of wonder.  


Catra would not describe herself as merciful. She avoids violence when she can, but it always seems to find her in some shape or form. Whenever it does, Catra sure as hell doesn’t go easy on whatever antagonizes her.  


But this situation is different. Maybe it’s because she is exhausted. Maybe it’s because for some reason, this human isn’t making a sound. Only looking at her, studying her even, with the expression of someone who is witnessing something amazing, rather than something that could kill her at a moment’s notice.  


The beast quickly makes a decision. Her mouth opens to let out the fiercest growl she could manage before using all of her energy to bound into the darkness of the trees on the other side of the road, leaving the woman awestruck against the back of the pickup truck.

…

An alarm blares through Adora's dark bedroom. It is turned off quickly before Adora rolls over in her bed. She partakes in her daily morning routine of contemplating if getting up this early is even worth it. Always winning that battle with herself, she raises to greet the morning with as much enthusiasm as 6:00AM-Adora allows herself to.  


The rest of Adora’s morning is easy enough. She is a simple girl with a simple lifestyle, including a basic sense of fashion. Today, it consists of jeans and a plain t-shirt under a running jacket. After she is cleaned up and dressed, Adora pours a cup of dry food into a dog bowl before grabbing a plain bagel from the fridge and heading outside and into her pickup truck.  


Work today starts at 7:00AM. Adora always likes to be extra early to open up, though she sometimes hates herself for it when she first wakes up. The job is fairly decent. It's a general store that is pretty close to her house. Adora gets lost in her thoughts as she drives through the woods.  


As the truck turns around a curve in the road, Adora notices something out of the corner of her eye- something on the road that should not be there. Her eyes flick up to catch a glimpse of what she is about to hit; it looks like a large animal.  


Adora quickly grabs the wheel with both hands to jerk it to the side. Unfortunately, the wet roads combined with the sharp curve made the animal impossible to miss completely. She barely hits whatever is standing in the middle of the road, causing her to grimace. She steps on the breaks and the truck stops a few meters from where the creature was struck.  


“Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead,” Adora pleads to herself in a panicked whisper as she hurriedly turns off the truck and gets out of it. Using her phone as a flashlight, she shines it on the large mass of fur. Adora was unable to get a good look at whatever the animal was while in the truck, but she assumes that it is probably a large deer. Whatever it is, she wants to make sure that she didn’t accidentally kill it.  


_Should I call animal control?_ The blonde thinks to herself as she nears the creature. The closer she gets, the more she realizes just how _big_ this thing is. It’s more the size of a bear than a deer, Adora concludes, the slightest bit of dread rising in her throat.  


Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. She should just get back in the truck and-  


Too late.  


Adora’s heart rate skyrockets as the animal suddenly gets up and faces her.  


It is _definitely_ not a deer.  


The first thing that Adora notices is its eyes.  


Dark and mismatched, the eyes of the creature are staring right into her, as if she is its next meal.  


Her head slowly rises as the animal does, and it stands up on two legs while backing her into the tailgate of the truck.  


Adora should be scared.  


She should be paralyzed with fear, saying her prayers as her life flashes before her eyes.  


But for some reason, Adora looks up at this thing that should not exist with curiosity, and, dare she say, _amazement._ It looks like some kind big cat, but so much more than that at the same time. The animal’s face, the ears, the stripes all over its body, and especially its eyes- one yellow, one blue she could see now- are all incredible to her. And the way it is _standing up on two legs?_ Adora never believed in the supernatural. If there was no proof that it existed, then it simply did not exist to her. But this… this was unheard of.  


Adora had a million questions, questions she knew would probably never be answered. Were there more creatures like this? Why hadn’t anybody ever seen something like this before? Why was she still against the back of the truck instead running to get inside and driving off? All she can do is stare as the summer rain runs down her face.  


The creature stops growling for a brief moment. Adora thinks about taking this opportunity to run for the truck door, but she never gets the chance to. The animal gives her one last snarl before running off into the dark forest.  


To say that Adora is shocked would be a massive understatement.  


She blinks a few times, her mind trying to register what exactly just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter down! So I wasn't planning on writing fics of any kind, like, ever, but these two gave me a lot of motivation and ideas that I had to get somehow. Anyway, I'm looking forward to writing the rest of this, I already have the next few chapters planned out. I'll pretty much be learning as I go, so comments will be greatly appreciated!


	2. Starting Over

After the events of the drive over to the general store, Adora would rather do anything else than work.  


She presses on, though. For her paycheck.  


The shaken-up blonde gingerly twiddles her thumbs behind the register as Bow goes on about some new novel that he found especially interesting.  


Adora’s other friend and coworker, Glimmer, wipes down the countertops, her eyes barely managing to stay open as she occasionally nods to anything Bow says with a certain amount of enthusiasm.  


Adora appreciates her friends a lot. Bow does his best to keep the group together with his endless positive attitude, and Glimmer is probably the most reliable person that Adora knows. She's the one who got Adora a job, after all.  


The three of them met the year that Adora graduated. Bow and Glimmer were both freshman from the same high school, with Bow studying computer science and Glimmer being a nursing major, like Adora. She was older than them by a few years, but that didn’t matter to any of them. She took them under her wing and they have been close ever since.  


They were both going to graduate this year. Meanwhile, Adora is just… starting over. Adora begins to think about going back to school. Under a new major, at that. It felt wasteful to her, in a way, having a bachelor’s degree in nursing and not getting to use it anymore. She has to constantly convince herself that this is what is best for her. Starting over isn’t always a bad thing, is it?  


Her thoughts go on for a while before a phone on the table starts to ring.  


“There’s the alarm, classes start in a few,” Bow announces as he picks up his phone to turn off the alarm.  


That’s right- it often slipped Adora’s mind that Bow decided to take summer classes this year.  


Glimmer stands up straight to stretch her arms and yawn. “You better get going then, we’ll meet up again in the afternoon. Good luck,” she replies in a sleepy tone.  


“You bet! See you guys around!” Bow says as he waves and walks off.  


Adora smiles and waves back. As the store door closes, she can feel her friend staring at her.  


The blonde turns to Glimmer, their eyes meeting as Adora gives her a sheepish grin.  


“Adora, you usually talk just as much as Bow during our morning shift, but you haven’t said a word this whole time. What’s wrong?”  


Wow. She really has a way of cutting straight to the point.  


“Oh, nothing’s wrong! Just, y’know, work, school, all that jazz.”  


Adora inwardly cringes at how fake that sounded.  


But really, what else was she supposed to say? That she came face to face with a giant cat that could stand on two legs and almost kill her? There is no way anybody would believe that, even her friends.  


Glimmer places her hand on Adora’s shoulder in a reassuring manner. “You know you can talk to us, right? Whatever’s going on, we want to be there for you.” Glimmer’s eyes lower. “Is it about… _that_ kind of stuff?” she asks, her voice quiet.  


Adora knows what she is implying and quickly shakes her head. “Oh, no no no! Not that, that’s behind me,” she says faster than she means to. The last thing she wants to talk about is her time as a medic. She considers bringing up the cat monster just to get off of that uncomfortable topic.  


She bites the inside of her cheek. “Really, I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind now. Like starting school again next semester,” she admits. It wasn’t technically a lie. Adora had been thinking about that subject a lot lately, even this morning.  


“Yeah, I can imagine. But don’t worry too much about it, okay? Me and Bow will be with you through the whole thing. We got your back,” Glimmer replies with a smile before giving Adora a hug.  


Adora returns the hug, not really feeling better about the situation she is in. She doesn’t want to drag her friends into… whatever this is. It is better to just try and forget about it, she decides.  


Needless to say, Adora doesn’t forget about it.  


For the rest of the day, Adora tries to focus on work, but her mind keeps bringing up what happened earlier in the morning.  


This goes on for the entire week. Days of Adora not being able to concentrate on much of anything, her mind stuck on that stupid creature. Eventually, she decides that she has to get some kind of closure.  


One day during her afternoon shift, while nobody else is working, Adora takes out her phone and looks for just about any information she can find about giant cat monsters in her area.  


Most of the information she comes across, however, is either just facts about mountain lions, urban legends or weird conspiracy theories. And besides that, all of the stuff she finds is about typical North American wild cats. The thing she saw wasn’t a cougar, or a bobcat, it looked more like a lion. Or a tiger? It had stripes. But it also had a dark mane. That being said, neither tigers nor lions were known for having two different eye colors OR being able to stand up like a person.  


Adora practically has her nose buried into the screen when she hears the sound of someone clearing their throat.  


The blonde pokes her head out from behind the phone to look up at the customer, and almost drops the very expensive piece of technology she’s holding.  


Once again, the first thing that Adora notices is _eyes_. One blue, one amber. Almost exactly like the ones she remembers the creature having.  


_Stop._  


_Stop it._  


_It has to be a coincidence, don’t go jumping to conclusions like that,_ Adora scolds herself.  


She looks back at the person in front of the register. It’s a woman wearing an old, worn sweatshirt with the hood up, covering most of her head and hair. Her thick, messy bangs come down from under the hood, almost covering her multicolored eyes. Freckles dot her face, complimenting her tanned skin.  


She’s unfairly pretty, Adora thinks, despite her messy, almost wild appearance.  


“S-sorry about that! What can I help you with?” Adora asks, forcing herself back into the present moment.  


The woman raises an eyebrow and slides a few sandwiches and bottles of water towards her. “I need to buy these,” the woman says. Her voice is quiet and a little raspy. It suited her.  


Adora smiles awkwardly. “Of course!” She exclaims as she starts ringing up the items.  


How common even is heterochromia? It seems like too big of a coincidence not to be a little suspicious. Adora thinks about bringing something about it up. _“Hey, you look familiar, haven’t you almost killed me before?”_ Adora says in her head.  


No, that’s not going to work. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that nothing she could say would sound sane. Adora eventually decides to push down her suspicions. For now. After all, she knows from experience that her gut feelings aren’t always trustworthy.  


But still, Adora feels like she needs to say something to lighten up the awkward atmosphere.  


“So, I haven’t seen you around here before. You new here?” She decides to settle on.  


The other woman scoffs. “Like I haven’t heard that one a million times.”  


Adora shrugs defensively. “Just trying to make conversation.”  


“Yeah, and being bad at it.”  


Adora doesn’t reply.  


The other woman furrows her eyebrows. “Look, I’m sorry. I just had a rough week, is all.”  


Adora’s eyes widen. That was a little unexpected. “Oh, it’s okay. It happens to everyone,” She reassures as she scans a water bottle. “Do you… wanna talk about it?”  


The stranger laughs dryly. “You wouldn’t believe it. Anyway, not really. I’ll just take my stuff and go, if you don’t mind,” she replies as she hands Adora a couple of bills.  


The blonde slides the bag full of food back towards the woman and gives her change. “That’s fair. Well, if you ever need to talk to someone, I’ll be here during the afternoon shifts,” she offers with a grin.  


The mystery woman takes her bag and gives Adora a strange look. “You’re making quite the effort to be friends with some random, pissy stranger, aren’t you?” She starts, though her tone is more surprised than hostile. “Besides, don’t you have, like, a job to do?”  


“Yeah? Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but you’re the only customer in the store right now,” Adora shoots back smugly. “Anyway, I guess that’s just how I am. Everyone deserves a friend.”  


“Ha, not me.”  


“Well, you may think that, but my offer stands,” The blonde declares as she leans against the counter. “My name’s Adora. And you?”  


For a moment she is worried that the woman is just going to roll her eyes and walk away. But instead, she looks down in thought.  


“Catra,” She answers quietly. “See you around.”  


“You too! Have a nice day!” Adora replies in her customer service voice.  


…  


Catra’s breaths are uneven and ragged as she shifts back into a human. Luckily, she remembered to grab her bag before she fled the scene of the accident. Even luckier, the truck hit her while she was fully shifted. Her hip is still a little sore, but she knew that it isn’t anything permanent, or even serious for that matter.  


Sometimes this curse could be a blessing.  


The first thing Catra does is rummage through her bag to find some suitable clothes. She couldn’t risk anyone else seeing her in a suspicious state, the whole Blondie ordeal was bad enough. Once she’s decent, Catra sets off to scout out the potential shelter she found.  


It’s a small shack by the lake.  


As she approaches the tiny, worn out building, her nose doesn’t pick up any fresh traces of human. The shack is either seasonal or completely abandoned.  


Deciding that it’s better than nothing, Catra kicks down the door and hastily makes herself at home, putting together a small nest made out of the blankets from her bag onto the far corner on the floor. She would figure out the situation she was in later. Now, she just needed to sleep through the exhaustion.  


By the time Catra wakes up, a warm orange glow shines through a dirty window. It has to be sometime in the afternoon. The main thing on her mind right now is the throbbing, aching hunger in her gut.  


Knowing herself, Catra probably slept for at least a couple of days. She usually did after an active night like she had just experienced. She digs out a hoodie from her bag and slips it on before leaving the shack to find some food, her fingers combing through her messy mane as she walks.  


It takes some time to get to any kind of civilization. Catra thinks she had to have been walking for ten or fifteen minutes before she finds a shop at the edge of town.  


It is some kind of small grocery store, Catra figures as she puts her hood up and walks inside. She immediately goes over to the premade foods section to grab as many sandwiches as she can carry, along with some cold bottles of water. A somewhat familiar scent catches her attention, but she decides to ignore it- the quicker she checked this stuff out, the quicker she could eat. She makes her way to the register and sets all of the food on the counter, looking up at the cashier who is distracted by something on their phone.  


Catra has to concentrate to stop her ear from flicking in annoyance. Part of her wants to berate the worker for not doing their job right, but she holds back in favor of loudly clearing her throat. The cashier looks up, and Catra suddenly meets a familiar pair of grayish blue eyes.  


_Mother fucker._  


Catra swallows all of her emotions and does her best to not show any kind of frustration or bewilderment. It would be just her luck that the first person she met in this town would be the woman she almost mauled to death!  


Deep breaths. Maybe Blondie had a twin sister. Maybe the blonde ponytail with the dumb hair poof was just “the look” these days. Maybe she was still dreaming, and none of this was actually real.  


Despite all the attempts to kid herself, Catra knew that those options were wrong. This is the same blonde idiot who almost full on ran her over with her damn pickup truck.  


She inwardly groans at the awkward small talk that Blondie attempts to make. Like they were _pals_ or something.  


Her reaction is a typical Catra response- standoffish. Almost venomous.  


After making those remarks, however, she notices something in Blondie’s face. Catra hurts people, and it hardly ever gets to her. But for some reason, it feels… worse than it normally does.  


“Look, I’m sorry. I just had a rough week, is all.”  


Nice save, Catra. As if that’d fix anything.  


But surprisingly, Blondie’s face lights back up with the same sickeningly sweet cheerfulness she had before. The fact that Blondie is kind of a dork helps calm Catra’s nerves. That is, before she suddenly takes on that smug tone. It threatens to make Catra’s face heat up, but she digs her claws into her thigh to prevent anything like that from happening.  


That was a definite NO on her list.  


Relief washes over Catra as she hurriedly exits the store.  


Out of curiosity, she scans the parking lot, and sure enough, the same white truck from that night was parked in the staff section.  


Someone had to be playing a sick prank on her.  


Normally, she would swear to never return there and find another place to get food.  


But this was a new kind of feeling.  


Blondie, or Adora, as she now knew, isn’t someone she would normally get along with.  


The disgustingly positive attitude reminded Catra of Scorpia in a way, without all of the unnecessary physical affection. She knew that it was a red flag for her.  


But she was starting over. Maybe this time she could learn to actually not be an asshole to someone? Catra didn’t exactly make the best first impression, though hopefully Adora wasn’t able to tell that they had met before. Even if she could tell, Adora was still so nice to her, and Catra simply couldn’t understand why.  


She knew that she probably isn’t going to actually be friends with her. She’s just some random cashier at a store that happened to be close to her temporary home. Despite that, Catra finds herself thinking about getting to know Adora. Almost wanting another friendship like that.  


Catra decides that she can't let herself get too comfortable with those thoughts. For her own sake.


	3. In Too Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, these next few chapters are gonna get kinda dark. There will be scenes of violence, blood/injury, and panic attacks.

After one long, uneventful day, Adora comes home to an excited pale-yellow furball jumping up at her.

“Aww, didja miss me Swifty?” Adora asks in her best puppy voice as she ruffles his small ears. “C’mon, let’s get you some dinner!”

It wasn’t Adora’s intention to raise a dog. That being said, she fell in love with the pup as soon as she first met him. The mother was Bow’s family dog; when the puppies were born, Bow was asking practically everyone he knew to consider taking one of them home. It didn’t take Adora much convincing after she held him for the first time. She decided to name him Swiftwind, despite all of Glimmer’s teasing because of it.

It was ultimately the right decision, Adora thinks. The puppy is easy enough to take care of, and he acts as sort of an anchor for her at times. Petting him always seems to calm Adora, even at her most anxious.

Adora pours the dog food into the dish. After a few seconds of watching the puppy eat happily, her eyes drift to a certain cabinet on the other side of the room.

A moment of thought passes. She then takes a deep breath and walks across the kitchen over to it.

When she kneels down to open it, her hands linger on the handles as she prepares herself for what’s about to happen. Slowly, the cabinet doors open, and she sees it.

A first aid kit.

It’s a medium sized red bag with a white cross in the center.

Adora cautiously reaches out to it. Despite her slow pace, as her hand gets closer, it starts to tremble.

She knows that she gets closer every day. She’s making progress. After all, she used to not even be able to look at medical supplies without getting sick to her stomach. But that progress doesn’t come in a straight line. Sometimes, the voice comes back.

_Your fault._

The air around her suddenly feels suffocating. Swallowing thickly, Adora closes the cabinet and slumps down against the doors and on to the kitchen floor, taking in air through sharp inhales. She clenches her fists tightly, trying to stop the shaking as tears sting in her eyes. She wonders if she’ll ever be able to pick up a bandage without having to steady her breathing. The crushing guilt she feels is one thing. But the shaking, the borderline hysteria? It makes trying to get over her anxiety unbearable sometimes. Adora starts to run her hand through her hair, her forehead now damp with sweat.

The small yellow puppy eventually waddles over to her, tail wagging lazily with crumbs of puppy food on his muzzle. Adora can’t help but smile at that. When she pats her lap, the puppy jumps up onto her and starts to lick her face.

“Ewww, we talked about this! Not after you eat!” Adora complains as she gently lifts the puppy up with both hands.

...

The next few days are about as eventful as any. Bow comes to hang out with them for a while before he has classes, and Glimmer usually has to leave in the middle of the day, leaving Adora alone for the afternoon. She never minds it, working alone just means she gets to put on some music for the rest of her shift.

She even sees Catra a few more times. Every other day, usually in the late afternoon or evening to get more food. They share the same banter every day they see each other, with Adora being her friendly, sometimes teasing self, and Catra usually not having any of it.

It became like a new routine for Adora. She found herself looking forward to it.

Adora doesn’t mean to pay much attention to the strange girl, but she finds it hard not to when there is nothing else going on. She notices that the more Catra comes to buy something, the more split up her money is. The last time she checked out her food, she paid mostly with quarters and dimes.

Money must be running low, she figures. Adora is by no means the most observant person ever, but even she could tell that Catra obviously wasn’t well off. She even wore the same hoodie every day, with the hood always up. Adora wonders why that is.

The next time Catra came to buy food, instead of letting her dig through her pockets, Adora just bags up the items and slides it over to her.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s on the house.”

Catra narrows her eyes. “Uh, what?”

“It’s on the house,” Adora repeats with a smile.

Catra looks down at the bag, and back up at Adora. “I think the word you’re looking for is ‘counter.’”

Adora snorts. “No, dummy, I meant you don’t need to pay for it. I got you covered from now on.”

“What?! Why?” Catra asks in a shocked tone. “Isn’t that against your job policy or whatever? You might get in trouble.”

Catra doesn’t seem like the type to focus on something trivial like that. Adora has to stop herself from saying something smart, like _“Wow, I can’t believe you’re worried about me! That’s so embarrassing!”_

She’s supposed to be doing something nice for the other girl, Adora reminds herself.

Instead, she only shrugs. “I’ll just pay for it. It’s not that big of a deal, you never get expensive stuff anyway.”

The expression Catra dons is unreadable. She looks back up at Adora and takes the bag. “…Thanks.”

“What’re friends for?” Adora says, grinning.

Catra’s face gets noticeably red. Adora thinks it’s cute. At least, she has a split second to before Catra hurries out of the store.

“Have a nice night!” Adora calls after her.

She doesn’t get a response.

…

Catra curses herself as she leaves the store. The dumb blonde just caught her off guard, with her overly friendly shtick. Sometimes she can’t believe that people like Adora actually exist, but for some reason, Catra seems to attract people like her more than anyone else. She almost hates it. It would be so much easier if everyone hated her. That way, she could lash out and show her teeth without feeling bad about it.

The bag is heavy in her hand. Adora really saved Catra, though she’d die before she admitted that out loud. She was certain she’d have to start hunting for squirrels and rats within the week, but she was ultimately spared by Blondie’s seemingly never-ending kindness.

It’s whatever. Adora probably would’ve done that for anyone. She isn’t special by any means, Catra tries to convince herself as she navigates the dark forest.

The tiny shack gets closer, and she starts to notice that something is… off.

A scent that Catra doesn’t recognize floods the air, and it starts to smell _bad_. She wants to cover her nose. Did something crawl into the shack and die?

The scent keeps getting stronger.

Whatever it is soon surrounds her. Her hair starts to stand on its ends, and she feels her tail bristle up in her sweatpants. Every part of Catra’s mind screams _danger_.

In times like these, Catra acts on instinct. Every time she has, it has saved her life. She suddenly drops the bag of food and bolts.

Whatever was circling the shack runs after her.

…

Adora had decided to do some grocery shopping of her own before going home. Her hands are full as she makes her way to the front door. Fumbling with the keys, Adora eventually manages to open the door wide to let herself in.

That was her first mistake.

Her eyes catch a flash of yellow before she feels something zip between her feet and out the door, barking and running towards the woods.

“Swifty, NO! Get back here!” Adora calls as she drops the grocery bags to run after him.

She is stopped by the distinct sounds of the howling of wolves.

Adora remembers. The last time she was in the woods, she almost got attacked by a large, deadly wild animal. She turns to run back inside and picks up a dusty shotgun from a barely used closet.

Adora never liked using guns. They were loud, dangerous, and they always reminded her of the warzone she once lived in. But Adora rented a house right next to the forest. A forest with very real, very dangerous wildlife. If it came down to a bear on her front porch threatening to tear down her door, Adora wouldn’t hesitate to use the firearm.

The sun had almost entirely set by the time Adora got home. It’s getting harder to see, even with the light of the full moon. She holds out her phone’s flashlight, occasionally calling out to her puppy, not too loud as to avoid any unwanted attention.

“Swiiifty? Where are you boy?” She calls in a whisper yell, whistling for him after. Worry starts to swell in Adora’s chest. She knew that he wouldn’t survive the night out here. Going back home wasn’t an option until she knew that he was safe.

The search goes on for a while, the sounds of howls echoing in the woods making Adora more anxious every time she hears them. Eventually, her eyes catch something small stumbling towards her. Surely enough, Adora’s flashlight shines on a small, worn out golden retriever.

“Swifty!” Adora exclaims as she takes the tired pup in one arm. “Don’t you ever do that again, you could have gotten lost!” she whispers as she turns around to start heading back to her house.

As Adora carefully navigates the uneven ground of the woods, she starts hearing noises.

Sounds of twigs cracking and leaves rustling. Adora swallows hard. There is probably nothing to worry about, just the wind, and maybe a raccoon or something.

The puppy in Adora’s arms starts to fuss and whine, squirming in her grasp. Adora sets her phone and gun down to try and calm him. As she does her best to settle the distressed pup, she hears something.

The sound of a very angry animal growling. It is way too close for comfort.

Holding the puppy tightly in her arms, Adora slowly turns toward a bundle of tall, thick bushes. The light of her phone barely illuminates the shrubs, and Adora is able to see them shift and turn as the unnaturally large face of a wolf emerges from them.

…

Catra doesn’t know when she shifted, but she realizes as she runs on all fours that she didn’t have time to shed her clothes before taking off. The fabric stretches uncomfortably across her body as she sprints through the woods.

Her eyes scan for any kind of escape. Any hole to hide in, or any place to climb up and get away. Catra soon spots a large oak tree, one that looks like its branches are strong enough to support her weight. She doesn’t give it a second thought; she only bounds over to it and sinks her claws into the bark as she scurries up.

Climbing was always one of Catra’s strong points. Ever since she was a kid, she found comfort in being in high up places. Whenever Catra climbed, she could see the area below her clearly, and most of the time no one bothered to climb up after her to bother her. It was a good way to be alone and think. Over the years, she got pretty damn good at it.

Once she is near the top of the tree where the branches start getting smaller, Catra allows herself to look back down at her attacker. The wolf halts as it reaches the tree.

 _Ugh_. Figures an overgrown mutt would be the one chasing her, Catra thinks.

The wolf stands up on two legs and snarls up at her, before its head snaps to the right.

It hears something. Before long, Catra hears it too.

An unmistakable, dumb sounding female voice.

Her eyes follow the wolf as Catra watches it change its target. She eventually sees a bright spot in the clearing and is able to make out the silhouette of a tall, built figure. Catra even catches glimpses of blonde hair as a light shines on the other woman.

Catra’s heart sinks. That thing is going to kill her.

That is… it’s going to kill her if Catra doesn’t do anything about it.

The werecat shakes her head. _Don’t be stupid, there’s no way you can take that thing. It’s almost twice your size._

Catra thinks that, but her claws dig further into the tree branch as she watches the wolf monster inch closer to the blonde.

 _Run, you idiot!_ Catra wants to scream. But she knows Adora isn’t going to. She didn’t last time.

She can’t watch this girl get killed. She won’t let herself. This dumb blonde hasn’t done anything wrong, she does not deserve to die like this.

Catra bares her teeth and makes another stupid decision involving Adora. This time, though, it might get herself killed.

…

Adora considers her options. She could run, but she knows she would get caught in an instant. She could reach for her gun, the gun that the monster is almost standing over at this point, but she might not be fast enough. Even if she was, she didn’t know if the gun would even hurt such a huge creature.

It is way bigger than the cat was. Bigger, and its piercing red eyes look like they’re full of anger and hate, whereas the cat looked like it was more scared than anything.

All Adora can do is try to stay still, shivering puppy in her arms as she stares into the face of death. Her eyes squeeze shut, and she braces for the inevitable.

But it never comes.

The sound of a pained howl pierces the tense atmosphere, causing Adora’s eyes to snap back open in surprise. She sees the monster arch its back in a strained motion before it starts to whirl around in an attempt to get something off of it. As it turns, the startled blonde gets a glimpse of the thing that is causing the werewolf such distress.

A familiar cat-like creature is latched onto the back of the wolf, their claws digging and shredding at the dark blue fur. That is all Adora can make out before the pair turn into a mess of twisting and writhing limbs. The werewolf shakes and rolls into the ground, but the cat’s fangs are buried deep into the wolf’s shoulder, refusing to let up even in the slightest.

Somewhere in the midst of thrashing around, the werewolf manages to wrap its claws around one of the back legs of the cat. It attempts to jerk the cat off of it’s back with a mighty tug, causing the cat to release their grip, taking tufts of fur and flesh with it. The wolf barks in pain and rage, then swings the cat’s body over its head and to the ground with a loud thump. A pained yowl fills the clearing.

Adora watches in horror as she sees the cat creature’s limbs start to shift, and their body gets smaller- more human like.

The werewolf wastes no time, and swings down a clawed paw, tearing through the fabric of the half-cat half-human creature’s sweatshirt and into their skin with a sickening ripping sound.

Adora eyes dart from the wolf monster to the gun on the ground in front of her, and her body seems to move on its own. She makes a dive for it. Once her hands grip the shotgun, she is able to lift it, aim for the monster’s head, and pull the trigger.

The deafening shot echoes through the woods.

The sheer power of the blast pushes the werewolf back. It stands still for a moment, before it slumps to the ground, limp and slightly over its victim.

Adora winces at the violent ringing in her ears, but she ignores it in favor of running to the fallen monster. It takes all of her strength to push the werewolf’s body off of the creature below it, but the large mass of fur eventually gives and slides off.

The cat creature has turned back into a human. Adora can’t see that well, even with the phone light still shining up a few feet away from her. Even so, she is vaguely able to see that the human is small, smaller than Adora, even. Without hesitating further, she slides her arms under the human and carefully slings their unconscious body over her shoulder. After gathering up the puppy and her phone in her other arm, Adora decides to leave the shotgun behind; she can find it again in the morning. She then hurries back to her house.


	4. Vulnerable

Adora rushes through the front door, stepping over the bags of groceries she dropped earlier. The door is closed, and she sets the puppy down and shifts the girl in her arms to carry her bridal style. The blonde hurries to the living room and sets the unconscious woman down in the middle of the tan carpet. Now that she is on the floor in the clear light, all of Adora’s suspicions are confirmed.

“Catra…” Adora whispers.

Almost if on cue, Catra’s eyes flutter open. She opens her mouth to say something, but only coughs and gasps come out.

“Easy, easy, you’re losing a lot of blood. We need to get you to a hospital,” Adora starts, before she feels a hand weakly gripping her wrist.

“Don’t!... I c-can’t go there…” Catra manages to sputter out. Her head then falls back and goes limp.

“No no no, stay with me!” Adora shouts as she catches the other girl’s head. Then she notices something.

Her ears. They are still cat ears. Catra hasn’t changed back into human completely.

“Dammit,” Adora rasps helplessly. There’s no telling what would happen if she took Catra to a hospital in this state. What would they do to her? What if Catra turned back into her beast form while she was there? She didn’t have that much time. The wound across her shoulder and chest is huge, there’s no way Adora could slap a band aid on it and call it good.

_You have experience. You can fix her,_ Adora thinks suddenly.

Adora’s teeth clench at the thought. Would she even be able to? She could barely touch the first aid bag itself without calling it quits last time. What if she messed up and accidentally hurt Catra further while in a panicked state?

The warm blood starts to pool under her hands, snapping Adora out of it. She has to try. It’s the only option they have.

Adora gets up off of the floor and runs to the kitchen sink to swiftly wash her hands with almost scalding hot water and dish soap. The soapy water runs red down the drain. She turns it off when her hands are clean, and hurries over to the cabinet with the first aid kit. She shuts her eyes and grabs it quickly before she could start getting doubts. Along with it, she fills a large bowl with hot water and grabs a pile of clean towels.

Once Adora returns to Catra, she carefully peels off the other girl’s bloody sweatshirt to get to the injury. She then tosses the ruined hoodie to the side. Adora can see it clearly now- four long gashes starting at the top of Catra’s shoulder and running down diagonally to the middle of her chest. They’re clean cuts for the most part, luckily. The one in the middle, however, is a little jagged here and there- she’ll have to be extra careful with that one. Once the wound is identified, Adora gets to work. After pressing a clean rag against the wound to stop the bleeding, she uses a wet towel to soak up the blood and cleans up around the gashes.

After most of the blood is cleared, Adora is able to see just how deep some of the gashes are. _She’s gonna need stitches,_ Adora concludes as her fists clench.

She can do this. This is nothing she hasn’t done before with ease. She just has to keep herself from shaking.

Adora zips open the kit and digs through it, taking out needles, surgical scissors, gauze, and bandages. After sterilizing the needle, Adora attempts to thread it. Her fingers start to tremble. “Come on, not now. You can’t afford to do this now,” Adora whines before taking deep breaths. She eventually is able to thread it, and she quickly gets to work stitching Catra back together. Adora occasionally has to stop to steady her hands, but after stitching the two larger gashes that needed it, she cuts the final tie and is able to move on to bandaging it up.

The rest of it is an easier process- she applies some antibiotics before fixing some smaller bandages around each individual wound, and then ties a larger one around Catra’s shoulder and chest tight, but not too tight.

After the job is done, Adora sits back and exhales shakily. The blonde attempts to take a moment to calm herself, but the suffocating feeling doesn’t go away. It was all too much- she starts to feel overwhelmingly nauseous. Adora stumbles up and to the bathroom, barely making it in time before getting sick in the toilet. Once she’s sure nothing else is coming up, the blonde sits back and wipes beads of sweat from her brow.

No matter how many breaths she takes, she’s still a leaf in the wind. For a few minutes, Adora just lets herself cry. The sobs echo through the empty bathroom. Her eyes shut as tightly as they are able too, but she still sees the blood on her hands. The shotgun blast still echoes in her head, and it starts to merge with older memories of gunshots and explosions. Everything blends together, like a sickening cocktail of trauma and death. The blood in her vision shifts into the red eyes of the monster that almost killed her. She almost wishes that it did.

Eventually, Adora is able to bring herself back down. She doesn’t know how long she has been in the bathroom. Her head aches from stress, but she believes that her state of mind at the moment has stabilized. _That girl still needs you,_ she thinks to herself before staggering up from the bathroom floor. She washes her face in the sink before returning to the living room.

Adora kneels back down next to the unconscious girl. She looks back at Catra- there is still blood and dirt all over her. Adora dunks a clean rag into the bowl of water before wiping away the grime on her face.

“She’ll probably want to take a shower when she wakes up,” Adora says to herself as she finishes cleaning up the dried dirt and blood.

The floor is a mess at this point. Bloody towels and medical supplies are scattered everywhere. Adora knew that Catra couldn’t help it, and so she didn’t blame her for it, but the carpet beneath them is now stained red. That’s gonna be a hell of a conversation with the landlord.

Adora tosses the dirty towels into the bathroom and shoves the medical supplies back into the first aid kit, not bothering to put it away. She turns back to Catra, watching her injured chest slowly rise and fall with every breath. Adora carefully picks her up, trying extra hard to not put too much strain on her injury. She then takes her to her bedroom, and gently sets her down on the bed before pulling the blanket over her body. Cautiously, she proceeds to sit on the edge of the bed.

How did she get here? It doesn’t matter. Catra saved her life. For the second time, if she counts what happened on the rainy morning that they first met. Adora begins to feel a responsibility for her. Catra wouldn’t be in this situation if she hadn’t risked herself to save her. She thinks back to that morning. It made her feel a little silly- she had been right to be suspicious of the woman. But now, she didn’t know what to think, or what to do. Catra had nowhere to go. Maybe they were put together like this for a reason?

Adora’s hand comes down to gently push a few strands of hair out of Catra’s face. “Why’d you do it?” she asks softly, though she knows the other girl can’t answer. Her fingers rest comfortably on the side of her face, just below Catra’s left ear. There’s a fairly large nick in it, near the base. Adora’s stomach churned as she feared that the werewolf had done that to her.

Unable to help herself, Adora gently runs her fingers over it, stroking it with her thumb. The fur there is soft; velvety. She is able to tell now that the tear had to have been there for a long time, the flesh beneath the fur looks scarred over. She strokes Catra’s ear for a while longer before pulling herself away. Catra probably wouldn’t like it if she knew that Adora was petting her without asking.

A chair is pulled out from the desk and is turned over to face the bed. Adora sits down, sighing as she lets herself relax for the first time that night.

A few hours pass.

Eventually, Catra squirms before waking with a start. She sits up, though she immediately regrets it as flashes of pain burn across her chest. A sharp hiss escapes her mouth, causing Adora to jolt awake at the sound.

“Hey, take it easy!” Adora starts as she scoots her chair over to the bed. “It’s okay, you’re safe. You need to rest.”

Catra’s head snaps over to Adora, eyes wide. She’s in a place she doesn’t recognize. A bedroom, by the looks of it. Adora’s bedroom. She looks down at herself- She’s only covered by bandages. Catra’s eyebrows furrow as she brings up one of her hands to feel the side of her head and-

Her ears. They’re exposed.

Every hair on her body bristles up as all kinds of emotions swirl through Catra’s stomach; fear, anger, regret, and most of all, shame. She never shows her cat features to anyone, especially not her ears. Adora’s gaze feels like it is burning through her, causing her eyes to widen and a snarl to spread across her face.

“Don’t look at me!” Catra shouts as she tries to cover them with her hands, rolling over on the bed away from Adora. But she knows it won’t do any good. Adora has already seen everything. She wants to yell at Adora, to get angry at her for taking away the security of being hidden. She wants to run away, back into the hellish forest if she has to, never to see Adora again since she knows she had ruined any chance of being normal in the blonde’s eyes.

“Wait! Catra, what’s the matter? Does it hurt?” Adora asks, her voice full of worry.

“No shit it hurts! But why do you even care? Now that you know how much of a freak I am,” Catra spits, still facing away from the other woman.

Adora gasps quietly. So this is why she’s so upset. “Catra, what are you talking about? Of course I care, why do you think I carried you back here and bandaged you up?”

Catra growls and turns back towards Adora, holding her body up with one elbow. “You should’ve just left me there to die. Monsters like me don’t deserve this kind of help.”

Her words tug at Adora’s heart; despite everything she had done, Catra genuinely believes that she deserved to die in those woods. Adora’s expression hardens with determination. She takes a risk and reaches out to rest her hand on Catra’s good shoulder. She can feel the other woman tense up, but Catra doesn’t pull away.

The touch is kind of nice, Catra thinks, even in her situation.

“You know I wouldn’t do that, Catra. You are not a monster, no matter what you think, or say. Monsters don’t save people.”

Catra’s eyes widen before she tears them away from Adora. She looks down at her hands tightly gripping the blanket. _Damn it, Adora. Why do you have to be so fucking nice?_

“You really are an idiot, huh?” She whispers, voice shaky.

Adora chuckles softly. “An idiot that practically sewed you back together. How many idiots that you know of can do that?”

Catra scoffs. “One, apparently.” She smiles, nevertheless, though it’s small. Her body relaxes, if only slightly. She still isn’t comfortable. She still wants to bury herself in the blanket, away from Adora’s gentle, caring eyes that she doesn’t deserve the gaze of. But for now, Catra lets herself at least feel safe.

“What were you even doing in the woods? That was the second time you almost got your face ripped off.”

“Oh, well… I accidentally let my dog outside without a leash and he ran off,” Adora admits, blushing a little.

“Ugh. Figures you’d have a dog.”

“What, you got something against dogs?”

Catra lifts an eyebrow and flicks her ear.

“Oh… right,” Adora says, rubbing the back of her head. She suddenly remembers something. “I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere,” she says as she stands up and leaves the bedroom.

“Trust me, I don’t think I could if I wanted to,” Catra responds, even though Adora is already out of the bedroom at this point.

Adora returns to the bathroom and opens the medicine cabinet. It’s mostly empty, but she finds a small bottle of Advil on the bottom shelf. She takes it and opens it- there’s only a few left, she’d have to get more very soon. The cabinet door closes, and she hastily makes her way back to the bedroom.

“Here, take these. They’ll help with the pain,” Adora offers two pills with a bottle of water.

Catra’s eyes narrow. She never liked taking pills. To be fair, she never really had to. Whatever pain she ever had, she just found a way to deal with it.

Adora seems to notice her hesitation. “C’mon, Catra. It’ll make you feel better.”

Catra rolls her eyes and takes them, popping them into her mouth before chugging the water. The pills feel uncomfortable sliding down her throat. Up until now, she hadn’t realized just how thirsty she was. She gulps down over half of the bottle before pulling away and gasping for air.

“Woah there, wouldn’t want you getting sick,” Adora laughs quietly.

After coughing once or twice, Catra grunts at the stress it causes her wound. “Fuck that hurts,” she hisses through gritted teeth. Tears threaten to pool in her eyes, but Catra refuses to let them. She’s already vulnerable enough.

Adora’s eyes soften in sympathy. Though she knows it’s wrong, she can’t help but feel that part of it is her fault that Catra is in so much pain. If she was more careful to not let her dog out like an idiot, they could have avoided this. She sighs and smiles weakly up at Catra. “Well, I better let you rest then while the medication kicks in,” Adora announces stands up to leave the bedroom.

Catra thinks for a second. “Wait,” she interjects, slightly reaching out to Adora. “I don’t know how comfortable I am about taking your bed from you. I can just sleep on the floor.”

“Absolutely not. You’re recovering, you need as much rest as you can get,” Adora objects quickly. “I’m not taking no for an answer. Not if it’s what’s best for you.”

Those words make something in Catra’s stomach flip. Her ears flatten against her head. “Okay,” she agrees softly, deciding that she’s in no position to argue further. “… I haven’t thanked you yet. For everything you’ve done for me.”

Adora smiles at that. “Consider us even,” she says as she starts to walk out. She turns back to Catra at the doorway, the light of the living room shining around her. “Goodnight, Catra. Give me a call if you need anything.”

The door closes before Catra can respond. She slowly sinks back down into the pillows, lying on her good side as she closes her eyes. It’s been a long time since she’s slept in a proper bed. The sheets are soft, and they smell nice- like Adora. It reminds Catra of something floral, with a hint of honey. Part of her feels wrong, but she’s too tired and hurt to care. She nuzzles into the pillows, letting the scent envelop her as she drifts off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say, thank you guys sooo much for the support! Reading your comments makes my day. :)  
> Also, disclaimer: I am not a doctor by any means, so all of the medical work portrayed in this fic probably isn't 100% accurate.


	5. Comfort

Adora wakes up from a dreamless sleep. It’s a relief for her, she was almost certain that she’d have some kind of nightmare. Maybe she was just too tired to dream at all. She raises from the couch, her head still aching slightly from all of the craziness that happened the night before. It feels like a fever dream. Not only did Adora know for certain that Catra was the creature from before, but apparently now werewolves exist too.

She groggily goes to the kitchen to make coffee. The machine groans to life, and Adora leans against the countertop.

What is she going to do now? Adora is sure that Catra has nowhere else to go. She barely knows the woman, but at the same time, she had saved her life. Why? Why would she put herself in danger just for her? It doesn't make sense. But that feeling is still there- the desire to protect her. To care for her and keep her safe. It was the least she could do for her.

The coffee soon fills the pot, and Adora pours herself a mug.

For now, Adora just has to take things in stride. The first thing on her agenda is to go back out and get her shotgun. She kind of wants to leave it there, but with knowing that werewolves were in those woods, she might need it again. She’d use it again before she let another one of those monsters get Catra, her own anxiety be damned.

The mug is soon empty and placed in the sink. Adora slips on her sneakers and walks to her bedroom to check up on Catra before leaving. Slowly, she turns the knob and opens the door.

Catra is still sleeping; the sounds of quiet snores fill the room as the woman slept. Her messy hair spread out all over the pillow. It is really pretty, Adora thinks. It’s a shame that Catra feels the need to hide it, though Adora doesn’t blame her for it. It suddenly came to her that Catra’s top got destroyed and it had to be thrown out. Adora carefully walks inside her bedroom and opens a drawer in her dresser to dig out a large, barely used t-shirt that wouldn’t be too uncomfortable with an injury like Catra’s. She folds it up and gently places it on the corner of the bed before exiting the bedroom.

She carefully closes the door and goes back to the kitchen, writing a quick note in case Catra wakes up.

The woods during the day are significantly different than the night, both in appearance and atmosphere. Adora enjoys the outdoors as much as anyone else, she always thought it was nice that she lived near the wilderness. But now, she doesn’t feel as comfortable traversing through the trees and bushes. Her nerves won’t leave her alone, and she’s on edge. Every few seconds, Adora gives into her urge to look behind her and make sure nothing is following her.

The uncomfortable walk goes on for a few minutes. Adora’s sense of direction is pretty keen, even though she had been in such a distressed state the night before. She is able to find the clearing of the attack, and find her shotgun in front of the bushes the beast was hiding in. But something isn’t right.

Adora looks around the entirety of the clearing, but the body of the monster is nowhere to be found. What happened to it? Was it dragged away or eaten by another animal? Or even more haunting, is it still alive? The monster went down pretty hard, so Adora thinks that the likelihood of the werewolf surviving is low.

Picking up her shotgun, Adora decides to drop the monster’s disappearance for now. There is more important stuff to worry about, like taking care of Catra. Adora wonders if she slept well. Even with the painkillers she took last night, the blow she took from the werewolf was massive. Not even the toughest soldier could sleep soundly with that kind of injury.

The front door closes quietly as Adora walks back inside. She sits down on the couch, and simply stares at the blank TV screen, thinking about everything that had happened. Her head turns to the bedroom door. She sighs and turns on the TV, her head still replaying the events of last night on loop.

The rest of the day goes by without much interruption. Adora starts to worry, since Catra hasn’t left the bedroom, or even made a sound for the entire day. The sun starts to set and Adora feels the need to check up on her again. She doesn’t want to be a disturbance, but the nagging feeling isn’t going away. She decides to go to the kitchen and make something for her, since she thinks that Catra has to be hungry.

After making a quick bowl of soup, Adora carefully knocks on her bedroom door before opening it and stepping inside. “Catra? Are you awake?” She asks, walking over to her desk and placing the bowl down on the corner closest to the bed. Catra shifts a little under the blanket, but doesn’t get up.

Adora steps closer before placing a hand on Catra’s good shoulder and gently shakes her to wake her. “C’mon, sleepyhead, you should eat something.”

A soft whine is muffled by the pillow. Adora covers her mouth, trying not to smile at how oddly adorable it is.

“I made soup. And I’m not leaving this room until you get some of it in your system,” the blonde announces, sitting in her desk chair.

The blankets shift again and Catra slowly rises, her hair twice as messy as usual. “Fine. As long as you close the curtains, it’s bright as shit in here.”

Adora smirks before she gets up and closes them. She then picks up the bowl and hands it to Catra. “Now eat. Careful, it’s still really hot,” she warns. “So, how’re you feeling?” Adora asks as she sits back down in the desk chair.

Catra looks at her and gives her a thumbs up and a strained smile that looks more like a wince. “You know, I’d say that I’ve been through worse, but that mutt really fucked me up,” she replies flatly as she takes a spoonful of soup in her mouth. It’s… definitely not the best thing she’s ever tasted, but it’s food.

“I still don’t know how you managed to get me out of there,” Catra says between spoonfuls.

“Yeah, it’s kind of a miracle to me too. I didn’t think shooting it like that would work, to be honest,” Adora admits.

Catra pauses. “Wait, what? You didn’t know if shooting it would work? Why didn’t you just run away if you weren’t positive? You had the chance to. That thing would’ve killed you for sure if it didn’t go down.”

Adora opens her mouth to say something. But she was at a loss for words. She wants to ask Catra the same thing- why did she bother intervening when she could have just run away? She didn’t have to attack the monster like that, but she did anyway. She sighs, before saying, “I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing. It was my fault it almost attacked me. I got us in that situation. You didn’t deserve to die because of my screw-up.”

Catra’s ears flatten in response. She hands the soup back to Adora, which she hesitantly takes. Catra then hugs her knees, ignoring the burning pain in her chest because of it.

“The wolf… it was chasing me. Before you showed up. So no, it’s not your fault,” Catra admits quietly.

Adora takes a few seconds to process that information, before chuckling softly. “Guess we were both looking out for each other, huh?”

Catra feels her face color. Luckily she is able to easily hide it in the blanket. “Yeah, _whatever_. It wasn’t because I like you or anything,” she protests, looking away from Adora, who gets that damn smug expression on her face again.

“Suuure Catra, whatever you say!” Adora teases, before her expression softens. “But… for what it’s worth? I did it because I like you.”

The blush on Catra’s face worsens. _Damn it_. “Tch, let’s see how long that lasts,” she says in an attempt to save herself. She plays with the blanket under her hands. “Anyway, I’m… I’m grateful that you’re letting me stay here. I’m not sure how long it’s gonna take for me to heal, but whenever you need me out of your house, I’ll go.”

Adora sets the bowl down on the desk and takes Catra’s hand in both of hers. “You can stay here for as long as you want to. I know it’s kinda cramped, but you’ll always have a place here,” she reassures. Catra smiles in response. Adora thinks it’s the first full genuine smile that she’s ever seen Catra give her.

A thought crosses Adora’s mind. It’s a little risky, but the curiosity gets the better of her as she lets go of Catra’s hand and sits back. “So, there are more people like you? Do all of them… Do all of them hide themselves like you do?” She asks.

Catra’s eyes fall, and she crosses her arms over her knees as her ears flatten again. “No. They don’t need to.” Adora sees Catra’s tail coil around herself, like she’s in a defensive position. A few seconds of silence pass. “All of my kind are cursed. But me?” Catra starts, her voice quiet. “I was born a little more cursed than the rest of them. Not quite human. Not quite animal. I don't belong anywhere, no matter where I go, or what I am.”

Adora wants to say something to make Catra feel better. But this is an entirely new situation to her. She wants to tell Catra that she belongs here, and that she is normal to her, but Adora isn’t entirely sure that she’d believe that. Still, she has to say something.

“Hey. I meant it when I said that you have a place here. No matter what you are, human, cat, or someone in between, you are still my friend. You always will be.”

Catra feels something in her chest pang- and it isn’t because of her injury. Her eyes close, trying to keep the floodgates from opening in front of Adora. “I- I think I need to get more sleep,” she requests in a shaky voice as she lays back down towards the wall.

Adora reaches out slightly, wanting to comfort her, but she decides against it. Catra probably needs some alone time. “Okay. I’ll be in the living room if you need anything,” The blonde offers softly before sitting up and walking out of the bedroom.

Catra’s heart aches. But it’s a different kind of ache than she’s used to. Some of it feels like relief, along with fear. Adora couldn’t actually mean that, could she? She’s just saying that to make her feel better, since she’s injured and vulnerable. But the way Adora was looking at her felt too real. She bites her wrist to muffle her sobs as tears stream from her eyes onto the blanket. Catra’s mind starts to wander, to thoughts of Adora accepting her, befriending her, and maybe even more than that.

Her fangs sink further into her wrist to try and stop those thoughts, but they don’t go away. A foreign fire is lit in her heart when thinking about the blonde, which scares Catra. This isn’t okay. Adora is just taking care of her injury, just giving her a place to stay, just accepting her despite the monster she is. It’s hopeless. All she can do is pray that Adora doesn’t hear her weeping.

Adora lingers on the other side of the door, her closed hand over her chest. She doesn’t mean to eavesdrop, but something inside her wants to stay. She wants to walk back into the bedroom and scoop Catra up and into her arms, telling her that everything’s going to be alright. But all of this has to be a lot for Catra. Adora eventually decides to leave her alone, and she goes back to the kitchen to make dinner for herself.

…

The next morning, Adora goes to the medicine cabinet to get more pills for Catra. She opens the bottle. It’s empty. Adora sighs, and goes to the bedroom. She gently places her hand on Catra’s shoulder. “I’m going into town. I’ll be back soon,” she says quietly. Catra’s ear twitches, but she doesn’t say anything. Adora hesitantly leaves.

The general store where Adora works is the closest shop to her house, so she decides to go there to get the painkillers. Unfortunately, the store is out of Advil. She squints, a light scowl on her face as she picks up some extra strength Tylenol. The stuff doesn’t work as well for her, but maybe it’s a different story for Catra. Glimmer is at the register when Adora goes to check out the single bottle. She stops, and eyes a couple of candy bars. Her stomach growls; she hadn’t had breakfast yet. _I really have no self control,_ Adora thinks as she grabs a few bars of snickers.

“Adora! I wasn’t expecting you to come in today,” Glimmer exclaims as the blonde places her items on the counter.

“Yeah, I just needed to buy this, I ran out of Advil this morning. It’s been a crazy past few days,” Adora laments, forgetting that she meant to keep quiet about her situation.

Glimmer’s eyes narrow. “You’re not… hungover, are you?” She asks, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Ouch. This woman sure knows how to be blunt. “No! It’s not that! I’ve just been really stressed out lately,” Adora quickly explains a little more defensively than she means to.

“Okay, okay! I believe you. But remember, I’m here for you, if you ever need to talk about anything,” Glimmer offers as she leans on the counter.

Adora tries to give her a reassuring smile. “I promise I’m okay. I… I’ll talk to you about it later, alright? I just need to get home right now.”

Glimmer looks down at the pill bottle, and back up at Adora, before sighing. “You better. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” She asks.

“Absolutely. See you later,” Adora replies as she waves and walks out of the store.

…

Catra can’t fall back asleep. Not after Adora woke her up.

She eventually sighs and sits up, ignoring the sting in her chest. Catra begins to crave the pills that Adora gave her. Even if they were disgusting and uncomfortable to take, they numbed the pain a little. Pulling the blanket off of her, she gets up and starts to look around the bedroom for them. She opens a drawer in the desk, and her eyes catch something.

It’s some kind of piece of technology that Catra doesn’t recognize. It is circular, with a wire coming from the side. Curious, she takes it from the drawer and holds it in both hands. There are buttons near the bottom of it. She presses one; nothing happens. She presses all of them and gets the same result. In annoyance, she squeezes the top with her thumbs, and it flicks open, causing her to jump slightly.

“Fuck, did I break it?” Catra curses to herself. But it doesn’t look broken- the thing that popped up looks more like a lid. She peers into the drawer where it came from. Deeper back she finds a couple of small plastic boxes. Taking a few of them in her hands, she flips through them. They all have pictures of people, landscapes, or weird looking art on the front with big letters. She picks out the coolest looking one in her opinion. When it opens, there’s a disk inside. She carefully takes it out and places it inside the machine she found; it fits in perfectly.

Once the disk is in, Catra closes the lid and hits a random button. For a few seconds, it does nothing. She sighs in frustration and starts to put it away, when she hears something coming from the other end of the wire. Catra stops, and holds the two ends of the wire up to her ears cautiously.

_Wow._

Catra had heard music before. She practically couldn’t get away from cheesy pop music when she and Scorpia were still friends. But she had never listened to music like _this_.

This is much more intimate. Here in a private, closed off space with nothing better to do, Catra allows herself to actually _listen_. She takes in the guitar, as it changes from soft and calm to wailing, loud, and _emotional_. The vocals match the guitar perfectly, and the singer is able to effortlessly change from soft and soothing to angry, depending on the song’s mood at the moment.

Catra reclaims her spot on the bed, taking the music with her as she relaxes against the wall. The earbuds fit kind of awkwardly in her cat ears, but she doesn’t care. She just keeps listening to it, getting lost in the melodies. Some of the songs are heavier than others, but they all are able to capture her in one way or another.

…

Adora eventually makes it back to the house, immediately going to Catra’s room. She opens the door and sees Catra on the bed, listening to her music player. She smiles to herself. It didn’t surprise her that Catra would make herself right at home.

Catra, able to smell Adora and sense the door opening, quickly rips the earbuds out of her ears. “Sorry. I just got bored,” she lies.

“Oh, it’s okay! Don’t be sorry,” Adora reassures as she steps into the bedroom and sits down on the desk chair. “Most of those CD’s are my dad’s old ones. Feel free to use it as much as you like, I never play it anymore,” she explains. “You feeling any better?”

The other woman shrugs. “Not really. I was going to look for the pills.”

Adora digs the new bottle out of her pocket. “We ran out, but I got some more here,” she says as she opens the bottle and takes out two capsules.

Catra has to bite back a hiss. “What the fuck? Those are way bigger than the other ones!” She protests, scooting away from them in disgust.

“They were out of the other kind, so this is the best I could get. I know you don’t like taking pills, but we’re just gonna have to make do with what we got.”

“That’s easy for you to say! There’s no way those popsicle sticks are going anywhere near my mouth.”

Adora huffs. Suddenly, she gets an idea. “Fine,” she groans as she turns the chair away and takes out a candy bar from her bag. She opens it, and subtly pushes a pill in it from the side before covering the hole where it entered with the wrapper. Adora then turns to face Catra, offering her the candy bar. “At least eat something, you haven’t had anything today.”

Catra smells the candy bar, and her pupils dilate. It smells _good._ She takes it and gives it a couple more sniffs before taking a bite. There’s a slight smile on her face as she chews, but it slowly starts to fade. There’s something hard inside the bar that does _not_ taste good. She shoots Adora an unamused look and spits it out.

“Catra!” Adora snaps, standing up and pointing at her with the bottle of pills. “If you don’t take these, so help me I will put it in a syringe and _inject it into you_!”

Catra gasps and glares at Adora. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Adora stares the other woman down, her expression hardened as if she’s saying _try me._ But she sighs, and slumps back into the chair. “Please, Catra? I’ll cut them up, if it makes them easier to take,” Adora pleads, giving Catra her best puppy dog eyes.

Catra bites her lip and looks away. Her chest still stung, and she didn’t know if she could say no to Adora while she was _looking_ at her like that. “Ugh, fine. If you cut them up.”

Adora grins and runs to the kitchen, leaving Catra to grumpily chew on the rest of her candy bar. When the blonde returns, she hands Catra four pieces of broken pills and water, which Catra begrudgingly takes.

Catra finishes swallowing the medicine, had edges and all, but Adora is still looking at her, smiling like a dork.

“What is it now?” Catra questions, a little more sarcastic sounding than she means to.

Adora shakes her head, snapping out of it. “Nothing! It’s just… thank you. For taking your pills.”

That was a little unexpected for Catra. Her expression falls. “I should be thanking you. You’re just trying to look out for me, and… I’m kinda being a pain, huh?”

Adora giggles. “Maybe a little bit. But I’ve had worse patients, believe it or not.”

That surprises Catra. “Wait, you have?” She asks, her head and ears raising in curiosity.

The blonde realizes what she just said. She thinks about brushing it off, but it’s no use hiding the truth from Catra. It’s only fair to open up to her a little too, right?

“Yep, I used to be a medic. I’ve seen grown men cry like babies while I was treating them for something less than what you got,” Adora admits.

And Catra laughs. A genuine, full hearted laugh. The first one Adora’s heard from her. “Wow, I would pay to see that!” She chuckles out.

“Well lucky for me, I got paid to see it. A lot,” Adora continues, though her tone is less amused than Catra’s.

“Man, that sounds like the life! Why’d you stop?” Catra asks. It’s an innocent question, but it sends ice through Adora’s veins thinking about it.

“I… that was so long ago. Working in that field wasn’t what I expected,” Adora answers, her voice somber.

Catra seems to notice Adora’s crestfallen expression, and her own face softens. A little bit of guilt prickles her stomach. She didn’t mean to bring up something that made Adora uncomfortable.

But Adora quickly stands up, her cheerfulness seemingly back. “Anyway, I better start making us some dinner. Any preferences?”

“Anything’s good with me, as long as it’s not more soup,” Catra answers, causing Adora to gasp dramatically.

“Are you saying that you didn’t like my soup?” Adora accuses, putting her hand on her chest in an offended manner.

Catra laughs again. Adora could get used to hearing it. It is raspy like her voice, and a little squeaky, but it's cute, and it's Catra. “Your soup was fine, as far as soups go. But really, Adora, I have an injury, not a cold!”

“Don’t you know that soup is medicine for the soul?” Adora jokes, trying to hang on to the exasperation in her voice, but failing as some giggles manage to slip out.

“Ha! Too bad I don’t have one!”

“Psh, whatever! I know you have one somewhere in there,” Adora laughs as she walks out of the bedroom and to the kitchen.


	6. Hidden

Adora has to work the next day. She gets up at the ever too early time of 6:00AM, and goes through her usual morning routine. Once she’s ready to leave, she goes into the bedroom to wake Catra up.

“Hey,” Adora says softly, “I’m going into work now. I’ll be home at around 6.”

Catra grumbles in response, before remembering something and sitting up. “Wait. Let me go with you,” she requests, pulling off her blanket to stand up.

“Oh, I don’t know Catra, you’re still healing. Plus I’m not going to be able to bring you back home until lunch time,” Adora protests.

Catra slips on the shirt at the end of her bed. “I left my stuff at a shack close to your work. It has my clothes and some other things I need. You got something that’ll cover me up?”

Adora squints in confusion. “Are the shirt and sweatpants not modest enough?”

Catra laughs. “No, idiot, I meant my ears. You may be fine with it, but if someone else sees me like this, it could mean trouble.”

“Oooh, right! Um, let me see what I can find,” Adora says as she digs through her room. The blonde was never one to wear hoodies during this time of the year, all of the ones she had were packed away in the winter closet. She digs through the drawers in her dresser, and finds her old high school softball cap.

“Would this work?” Adora offers, holding out the hat.

Catra examines it. “I guess it’ll have to do, but I might have a bit of trouble hearing things. You got a hair tie?”

Adora picks one up from off of her desk. “Here, hold still,” she orders before running her fingers through Catra’s hair.

Catra freezes; she can’t remember the last time someone had touched her hair like this. Adora’s fingers are delicate as they gently comb through it, and she soon lifts her hair up and wraps the tie around it. Adora proceeds to pull the ponytail through the cap and slips her ears inside it before fitting it snugly on her head.

“There. Is that good? Can you hear me okay?” Adora asks.

“Yeah, good enough. Let’s go,” Catra answers. She says that, but the cap pulls her ears back in an awkward position. They feel fine for the time being, but she hopes that she won’t have to wear it for the entire day.

They leave the house and get in the truck. “So how far away is this shack?” Adora asks as she starts it up and drives off.

“It’s a few minutes away from the store, it’s by a small lake. You don’t have to come with me, I can handle myself,” Catra explains, sinking into the car seat. She isn’t used to waking up this early, so she has trouble keeping her eyes open.

“Nah, I’ve made up my mind. You’re still recovering, remember? Carrying something heavy that distance is gonna put a lot of strain on your injury.”

“Pft, whatever _mom,_ ” Catra taunts, though she appreciates the gesture. Adora rolls her eyes and smiles.

The truck soon pulls into the general store’s parking lot. To Adora’s surprise, her vehicle isn’t the only one in the lot. Glimmer's car is also there, which is strange- Glimmer is never earlier than her. “Hold on, I gotta check on something real quick,” Adora says as she steps out of the pickup. She makes her way to the store entrance and steps inside.

“Adora!” A familiar voice snaps. Glimmer appears from behind an aisle and walks up to her. “Do you ever check your phone?”

Adora’s eyes widen, and she quickly pulls her cell phone from her pocket. She sees 5 unread text messages, all from Glimmer. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to ignore you, I just got caught up in something.”

“Okay, yeah, I’ve had enough of you dodging the question. What’s going on? And don’t you try lying to me, or downplaying it, because I can tell that something’s up with you. And I’m too worried about you to just let it go,” Glimmer declares as she points at the blonde.

Just then, the store doors open. “Oi, Adora, what’s the hold up?” Catra questions in the doorway.

Glimmer blinks a few times. “Who’s this?”

Adora steps over to the doorway. “Glimmer, meet Catra. She’s an old high school friend of mine. She recently had an… _accident,_ so she’s staying at my place for a while. That’s why I’ve been busy.”

Catra shoots Adora a look, and Glimmer’s eyes narrow in suspicion. “What kind of _accident?_ ”

“Nice to meet you too, Sparkles, but that’s private information. She didn’t tell you what it was for a reason,” Catra states with an unamused expression.

Glimmer suddenly realizes how accusatory she sounds. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to pry or anything,” Glimmer apologizes, her hands raising defensively. “So, you two are old friends? I’ve never heard about you before.”

“We kind of had a falling out a few years back. But I was able to get into contact with Adora again a couple days ago, and she agreed to let me stay with her,” Catra lies. Adora thinks that she’s crazy good at it. At least, way better than Adora could ever be.

Glimmer looks between them, and smiles hesitantly. “Well, I won’t make you tell me the whole story. But it’s good that Adora is rekindling old relationships.”

“Yeah, something like that. Anyway, mind if I steal her for a few minutes? She was gonna show me something,” Catra declares as she takes Adora by the hand and starts to walk out the door.

“Sure thing, just don't take too long! She still has work!” Glimmer calls after them before going back to restocking shelves.

“That’s some friend you got,” Catra grumbles once they’re out of the store and walking towards the woods.

“Oh, don’t worry about her too much. She’s just concerned about me, that’s all,” Adora insists as she stumbles to keep up with Catra practically dragging her.

Catra realizes that she is still holding Adora’s hand. Her face flushes, and she quickly releases it. Hopefully Adora doesn’t think that she’s being too possessive. “Still, she’s your friend, not your parent.”

Adora frowns. “Well, I can’t say that I blame her too much. I do some pretty stupid stuff sometimes,” she admits.

Thankfully, Catra slows down. She then looks at her, but her expression is hard to read due to the darkness of the woods. “Doesn’t everyone?”

The blonde doesn’t know what to say at first. “…Yeah, I guess so,” Adora agrees quietly, not wanting the conversation to go on further.

The rest of the walk is quiet. Catra eventually finds the shack where she formally stayed. “This is it,” she announces as she walks to the door.

Adora follows closely behind, taking in the tiny home. It looks small, sad, and dirty. “Wow, you were staying here? How long have you been living like this?”

Catra scoffs as she starts piling blankets into her bag. “Please, it’s not that bad. I’ve slept in worse.”

Adora steps closer to Catra, taking the bag from her after it’s zipped up before slinging it over her shoulder. “Were you planning on coming back here when you woke up?”

Catra swallows thickly. Adora is so close to her. “Yeah, pretty much,” she affirms, unable to look her in the face. She feels a hand rest on her shoulder, and her eyes come up to meet Adora’s.

“I’m glad I found you, in that case. So you don’t have to sleep in dusty sheds anymore,” Adora confesses, her voice soft and caring.

Catra is unsure how to respond. She can feel her heartbeat in her chest, and her throat is uncomfortably dry. It’s uncertain to her if she would be able to reply with words if she wanted to. But, despite everything, Catra doesn’t want Adora to pull away.

And she doesn’t. Adora instead steps closer and wraps her arms around the other girl. It’s a surprise to Catra, and she isn’t certain yet if it’s an unwelcome one or not.

“Is this okay?” Adora asks.

Catra is no stranger to physical affection like this, but it was never quite this soft, or considerate. The warmth of the embrace radiates around her, and she has to focus to keep herself from purring. She eventually brings her arms up behind the blonde’s back and relaxes into the hug. “Mhm,” she mumbles in response to Adora’s question.

After a few moments, Catra begins to feel a little overwhelmed and pulls away. “We should head back. Don’t want you to get in trouble for being late,” she mutters softly.

“Oh, yeah. I guess you’re right,” Adora chuckles out awkwardly before turning to leave the shack.

The walk back to the store is quiet and uneventful. Catra's face is still warm from the recent memory of Adora's body against hers. Occasionally, she looks up to steal glances at Adora, who is walking in front of her.

Catra decides to put her bag in the pickup. “You can come hang out with us in the store until lunchtime, it’s a lot cooler in there,” Adora offers as Catra climbs in the passenger side of the truck.

“I might take you up on that later, when I’m not as tired.”

“Jesus, Catra, you’ve practically been sleeping since I took you home on Friday,” Adora teases, resting her arms through the opened truck window.

“Why don’t you try turning into something that’s twice your normal size and fight a giant monster? See how tired you get after that,” Catra retorts as she relaxes against the seat of the truck.

Adora laughs. “That’s a fair point. Have a good nap then,” she responds before stepping back and walking into the store.

Adora clocks in and stands at her usual place behind the register. A few minutes pass before Glimmer walks up to the counter. Adora sighs. “I know you’re giving me that look,” she says, not turning to the other woman.

“And what look would that be?” Glimmer replies, leaning against the counter top.

“That look you give me when you want to say something, but you don’t know how to bring it up,” Adora explains with a smirk, finally turning to Glimmer.

“Okay, yeah, you caught me. It’s just… you and Catra…” Glimmer starts.

“Yeah?”

“She says that you two haven’t been friends for years, and she suddenly comes back into your life, and you give her a place to stay in your one-bedroom house.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you… y’know… _together?”_

Adora flushes down to her neck. “W-what? No! Where did you come up with that conclusion?”

“Okay, chill! It’s not that big of a deal if you are!” Glimmer reassures.

“Well we're not, I swear. I’m just- it’s complicated, okay? She doesn’t have anywhere else to go,” Adora explains, still beet red.

“Alright, I understand. Just tell me if she starts giving you trouble, okay?” Glimmer warns.

The store doors open, and Adora’s head snaps to them, thinking that it’s Catra.

Instead, Bow walks into the store. “Good morning, best friend squad!” He announces, stopping in front of the counter.

“Morning!” Adora responds, trying not to feel a little disappointed.

…

Catra decides to leave the truck window open in case something happens outside. The truck isn’t the most uncomfortable place she had slept, but it for sure isn’t optimal. Her chest starts to ache, and she grumbles, sitting up. She curses herself for not bringing the painkillers.

As she sits up, she notices a somewhat familiar scent. It starts out small, but it slowly starts to grow. She tries to recall where she remembers it from, when she hears the sound of an SUV pulling up on the other side of the parking lot. The scent suddenly floods her nose as the door opens, and it comes to her. She quickly opens the truck door and runs into the general store.

“Oh, hey Catra-“ Adora starts before Catra quickly grabs her hand.

“Bathroom. With me. NOW,” She exclaims as she pulls Adora away from the register.

“Um, excuse me!” Glimmer protests, but Catra ignores her. “Bow, you stay here, I need to see what they’re up to.”

Bow gasps. “Me? What if a customer comes in?”

Glimmer laughs dryly. “This early in the morning? Go ahead and buy me a lottery ticket while you’re at it.”

Adora is dragged into the woman’s bathroom. “Catra, what is going on?”

“One of them is here. I could never mistake that scent,” she starts.

Adora’s expression hardens in confusion. “Wait, what do you mean? Who’s here?”

Catra peeks outside the bathroom. “One of those overgrown mutts. I don’t know why they’re here, but if I can smell them, they can smell me. I need perfume, quick,” she demands quietly.

Adora sputters. “Do I look like the type who carries perfume around with me?”

“I don’t know, maybe! How am I supposed to know that stuff? I just need to mask my scent before it knows I’m here,” Catra hisses as she crosses her arms.

The bathroom door suddenly swings open, causing them both to jump.

Glimmer steps into the bathroom, an exasperated expression on her face. “What is going on here? This is highly inappropriate!” she exclaims, before pausing and putting her hand on her face. "... Oh no, I sound like my mom, don't I?"

“Shh! Do you have any perfume at all?” Adora whispers.

Glimmer raises an eyebrow. “Why would you need perfume right now?”

“It’s a long story, Sparkles! I just need it, and I need it fast!” Catra snaps, her voice still hushed.

Glimmer groans. “You know, my name is Glimmer. It’s not that hard to remember,” she rebukes as she looks around the bathroom. There’s a can of Febreze on the sink. She picks up the can, runs over to Catra and starts spraying.

After a few seconds, Catra begins to gag. “Okay, stop, stop, or I’m actually gonna vom,” she whines shakily, covering her nose from the overpowering smell.

“Jeez, it’s just air freshener. It’s not that bad,” Glimmer says, but she stops and pulls the can away.

“Whatever! Just get Adora too, my scent is probably all over her.”

Glimmer scoffs loudly. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Just do it!”

She groans and sprays Adora too, causing Catra to turn away in disgust. Once they’re all sprayed, Glimmer puts the can back on the sink. “Now, you guys mind telling me what’s happening?”

Before either of them can respond, the sound of the store doors opening rings through the building. “Glimmer! Customer!” Bow yells from the register.

“Ugh. I gotta go. But I’ll be back for you two,” Glimmer declares before stepping out of the bathroom.

Adora carefully walks to the bathroom door to open it slightly and peek out of it to watch the scene.

“Sorry about that, I was cleaning bathrooms. What can I help you with?” Glimmer says to the customer.

It’s a tall, built looking man in a police uniform with slicked back grey hair. “No worries, I am not here to buy anything. I request information. We are looking for a young woman who appears to be in her early twenties. She has dark brown hair and two different eye colors, one blue, and one yellow. There have been reports of her sightings around this area. Have you seen anyone matching that description?” The man questions.

Adora’s heart sinks. “Don’t do it, Glimmer,” she whispers to herself.

Glimmer hesitates for a few seconds. “I think I saw someone like that once. But it was a few days ago. I haven’t seen her here since then,” Glimmer eventually lies, much to Adora’s relief.

A moment of silence passes.

“… I see. Very well. Please call us immediately if you see her again, it is an urgent matter. Have a good day,” the officer notifies before exiting the store.

Adora turns back to Catra, only to see her hugging herself and looking shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay! It’s over now,” Adora consoles as she places both of her hands on Catra’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t let him get you. You know that, right?”

Catra looks up at Adora, and only nods weakly. She then throws her arms around the blonde, craving the same reassurance and comfort that she had given her earlier. She is afraid for a second that she had crossed a line, but Adora eagerly returns the hug. Catra sighs into it- her fears soon fade away.

That is, until the bathroom door swings open again.

“Ugh, don’t you know how to knock?” Catra complains, pulling away from the embrace.

Glimmer stands in the doorway with a scowl on her face. “You two have some explaining to do.”

“Glimmer, it’s not what you think,” Adora starts, not letting go of Catra’s shoulders.

“That was a _police officer,_ Adora! And he was looking for _you_!” Glimmer accuses, pointing her finger at Catra, who narrows her eyes in response.

Adora steps between them, almost in a protective gesture. “That’s enough. You don’t know what she’s been through.”

“And you do? Why won’t you tell me what’s going on, if that’s the case?”

“Because it’s complicated! She’s…” Adora trails off and looks back at Catra. “Give us a few minutes to talk, okay? Please?”

Glimmer pauses and looks between them. “Okay,” she accepts quietly, and steps out of the bathroom.

“She’s onto us,” Adora says as she turns back to Catra.

“Well, that sucks for her. Let her be skeptical. If she finds out about me, she might actually rat me out to the cops,” Catra argues as she crosses her arms and looks away.

“No, she won’t. I won’t let her. No matter what happens, I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not letting anything happen to you,” Adora presses on, her hands coming up to gently hold Catra’s arms.

Catra looks back at Adora, thinking about her situation. Sparkles doesn’t seem like the type of person to let something go that easily. And besides, she trusts Adora. Her friends can’t be that bad, can they? She sighs. “Alright, fine. But if they get weird about it, I’m not putting up with it,” Catra finally agrees, causing Adora to smile wide.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they won’t.”

They step out of the bathroom and walk up to the register. Glimmer looks up to face them, and Bow turns around and gives them a cheery smile.

“Hi Adora! Sooo, who’s your friend?” he asks, walking up to Catra and reaching out his hand. “My name’s Bow! What’s yours?”

Catra raises an eyebrow and reluctantly takes it. “Catra,” she responds quietly.

Bow realizes something and gasps. “Wait. Your eyes! Are you the girl the police are looking for?!” he exclaims, stepping back.

Adora clears her throat. “Guys, we have something to tell you. But you both have to _promise_ to be cool about it, okay? It’s really important to her- to _us-_ that you don’t freak out.”

Bow and Glimmer share a look. Glimmer then stands up and steps closer to them. “If you tell us the truth, then I promise I’ll try to keep my cool,” she swears.

Adora smiles, and then nods at Catra.

Catra takes a deep breath. “I’m… not quite human,” she confesses as she takes off the cap. She pulls her hair through the loop, and her ears flick out.

An uncomfortable moment passes without anyone saying a thing.

“Well?” Catra growls, her ears folding back defensively.

Bow is the first to speak up. “Oh. My. _Gosh,”_ he coos, his hands coming up over his mouth as his eyes practically sparkle.

“Bow,” Adora starts, and shakes her head in warning.

“What, can you blame me? Look at her! She’s _adorable_!”

Catra’s eyes widen. “I am not!” She spits.

“Argue with me all you want, but those ears are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!” Bow laughs.

Catra hisses. “They’re just ears! You don’t see me walking up to you and calling your ears cute, do you?”

“ _Okay,”_ Glimmer interjects, “as lovely and as charming as this is, what does this have to do with her being wanted by the police?”

“Maaaybe there’s a secret rule prohibiting furries in public?” Bow brings up.

“ _Bow_ , that is so obviously not it!” Glimmer protests, putting her hands on her hips.

“What, you never know!”

Catra squints her eyes. “What’s a _furry?_ ” she asks, and Adora snorts.

“Let’s just say it’s someone who _really_ likes animals,” Bow explains, giggling a little.

“Oh, like Adora?” Catra asks nonchalantly, causing Bow to crack up in response.

Adora flushes hard. “I am not!”

“Can we _please_ get back on track?” Glimmer complains, and the rest of them go quiet.

Adora and Catra look at each other before Adora steps up.

“That’s not all. A few days ago, we got attacked by some kind of wolf monster. Luckily I had a gun on me, so I was able to take it down, but not before it could hurt Catra,” Adora explains. “And… Catra thinks that the cop that came in here is one of them.”

“Wait, you think that guy attacked you? He looked pretty human to me,” Bow says, eyebrows raised.

“They can all look human,” Catra starts, before looking down, avoiding eye contact. “Except me. Creatures like us have the ability to change into large animals, and back to humans. But I’m different. I’m never able to change back completely, so I have to hide myself,” she explains.

Glimmer is quiet for a moment, before she shakes her head. “That’s absolutely insane.”

“I know it sounds crazy,” Adora begins to insist, “but you have to believe us. I promise I wouldn’t lie about something like this. Catra could be in big trouble if anyone else finds out, so both of you have to _swear_ that nothing about what happened today leaves this store.”

Glimmer frowns. She thinks for a few seconds, before saying, “Okay. I trust you. I’m not sure how I feel about you yet,” she says as she turns towards Catra, “but if Adora is your friend, then so am I. You two won’t have to worry about us telling a soul.”

Adora grins at that. “Thank you so much, guys. It means a lot,” she says as she steps over to her friends for a group hug, which Catra only watches awkwardly from a few feet away.

“Yeah, just promise me you won’t go looking for trouble,” Glimmer responds as she pulls away.

“Trust me, after a run in with that thing, I’m ready to never go into the woods again,” Catra replies as she puts the cap back on.

Adora smirks and leans against the counter next to her. “Good thing you won’t have to now.”

Catra gives her a smile. It’s a relief to her that Adora’s friends weren’t as freaked out about her as she thought they might be.

“So anyway, you still want that lottery ticket?” Bow jokes to Glimmer. She just rolls her eyes.

…

Adora has to return to work for the afternoon after taking Catra home during her lunch break. She comes home later in the day to find Catra watching TV on the couch.

“You know, you’d heal a lot faster if you stayed in bed,” Adora says as she sits down on the space next to Catra.

She laughs dryly. “Yeah, as much as today was an _adventure,_ there’s no way I’m gonna be cooped up in your bedroom all day dying of boredom.”

Adora pouts. “You didn’t seem so bored when you were listening to the music player.”

“That was fun for the first two hours of me listening to it. But I gotta move around once in a while, change the scenery a little,” Catra resumes, leaning against Adora slightly. “Anyway, it’s been an entire day and the smell of chemical lavender is still all over me. Mind if I shower?”

“Of course, be my guest. I’ll have to change the bandages after though,” Adora replies, and Catra gets up and heads to the bathroom. Adora can hear the water start up from the couch.

Around thirty minutes pass, and she gets up to get the first aid kit when she hears the water stop.

Once Adora has the bag in her hand, she goes to the bathroom door and knocks. “Let me know when I can come in,” she says.

Catra waits for a few seconds.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Adora hears from the other side of the door.

She opens it and walks inside. Catra is sitting on the toilet seat, towel wrapped around her torso. Adora sets the bag down on the bathroom floor and kneels down in front of her. She gets the new bandages, antibiotics, and medical tape out of the bag.

“Alright, you’re gonna have to remove the towel now. Is that okay?” Adora asks.

Catra nods and lowers it, exposing her injury. She looks at anything but the blonde, her face coloring.

Adora quickly gets to work applying the antibiotic cream to the wounds. They’re still healing, but they look a lot better than when she last saw them. “Did it hurt at all? Taking the shower?” She asks, trying to take the mood off of the awkward situation Catra’s in.

“It was uncomfortable, but I’m tough. I can handle it,” Catra responds with a chuckle.

Adora smiles up at her. “That’s good. I’m glad,” she replies as she finishes applying the antibiotics. She then picks up the bandages. They linger in her hands for a few seconds- a little bit too long.

Catra raises her eyebrow. “Uuh, Earth to Adora?” she asks, but the blonde doesn’t say anything. Her hands start shaking again.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” She asks. It was meant to be an innocent question, but it comes out wrong. She suddenly sees tears in the blonde’s eyes.

“Oh, shit! I didn’t mean to say it like that, I’m sorry,” Catra apologizes quickly.

Adora shakes her head and squeezes her eyes shut tightly. “It’s fine. I just need to do this fast,” she says flatly, and Catra’s heart stings worse than her injury.

The rest of the process is done in complete silence. The bandages are tied around her, and Adora cut the tape before putting the rest of the medical supplies away.

“Thanks,” Catra says softly before slipping her shirt back on.

“Yeah. I think I’m gonna go to bed early,” Adora says as she stands up, her voice emotionless. She then leaves the bathroom without another word.

“Oh. Okay,” Catra responds weakly, her ears folded back. She stays in the bathroom for a little while longer, running her fingers across the newly applied bandages. Emotion starts to bubble up in her chest, and she swiftly but cautiously makes her way to the bedroom.

Once the door is closed behind her, she slides down against it onto the carpeted floor as tears escape her eyes. _I fucked it up, didn’t I?_ _I always do,_ she thinks to herself as the tears run down her face. Her tail coils up around her feet as she silently sobs on the bedroom floor.


	7. Poisonous Distraction

For the longest time, Adora is only able to look at the dark ceiling above her. It’s far past the time she usually likes to fall asleep, but she can’t help it. Guilt is swarming through her chest and her head. _I can’t even change her bandages without losing it like a coward,_ she thinks to herself spitefully. _She deserves someone better than me. She deserves a real doctor,_ her thoughts continue, and the tears building up in her eyes eventually pool over and spill down her cheeks.

She clutches the fabric of her night shirt above her chest, sniffling softly to herself. Sometimes Adora can’t fall asleep without crying out her emotions, and she hates it. She hates the fact how Catra was obviously hurt by her retreat. The look she had on her face is burned in Adora’s mind, and it makes her want to sob hard enough to be heard through the entire house. But she continues to silently weep on the couch before sleep finally takes her.

And oh, how she wishes it didn’t.

Her eyes open to a distorted scene of burning fabric, the ground around her stained black with explosives. Gunfire can be heard all around her, and grenades fly over her head, landing with sickening booms and pops. She looks down and sees her hands on a body charred beyond recognition. Surgical gauze is in her hands, but she knows good and well that it won’t do anything to help; the body is crisp and lifeless.

She closes her eyes in the dream to try and stop the scene from haunting her further, but when she finally opens them again, the body is replaced with a much more chilling sight. Instead of the unrecognizable figure she was treating before, it is replaced with the body of Catra that she treated on the night she got attacked. But the wounds are much larger and grotesque.

Adora feels a hand grip her wrist, and looks down at Catra’s face. Her mismatched eyes are fogged over with fear and pain. “Please,” she gasps out, “don’t let me die here…” her voice should be weak, but for some reason, it is louder in Adora’s mind than the explosions and gunshots.

The blonde tries to scream her name, but her throat is dry and hot- no words are able to escape her mouth. Adora goes to hold Catra’s body with her arms, only for it to break up and separate, turning into ash. It spreads from her grasp into the hot desert air, leaving her limp and whimpering as she clutches onto nothing.

Adora jolts awake, her chest heaving as she takes in air through rough gasps. Her hands come up to tightly cover her mouth in case she accidentally screams. For a few moments she tries to force herself to calm down, wiping off the sweat from her face. After a while, she shakily picks up her phone from the coffee table and turns it on. The screen reads 5:28AM. At that moment, she would rather die than go back to sleep, so she decides to start getting ready for work.

The shower Adora takes is icy. The freezing water drips down her body, and she is only able to stare at the water swirling down the drain. Her head replays the scene of her dream over and over, and it’s torture for her. No amount of freezing water stops the burning in her chest and behind her eyes.

After her shower, Adora gets dressed and pulls her hair into her usual ponytail. As she exits the bathroom, her eyes keep shifting to the bedroom door. The image of the injured Catra in her arms refuses to leave her head. Deciding that she has to put herself at ease, Adora carefully steps into the bedroom, and tiptoes close to the bed.

It’s dark, but the light of the living room barely illuminates Catra’s sleeping figure. Her quiet snores fill the room like the most soothing music. Adora kneels down next to the bed, looking at the peaceful, sleeping expression on Catra’s face.

Adora wants nothing more than to run her fingers through her gorgeous, wavy brown hair. She wants to hold the other woman close and listen to her heartbeat. She wants to hear her voice, playful, raspy, and full of life as Catra teases her. Anything to make sure that she's alive and okay. The blonde begins to reach her hand out to stroke the sleeping girl’s hair, but she stops herself. She doesn’t want to disturb Catra, especially after what happened last night. Adora sighs silently, and retreats.

Dog food is poured into Swiftwind’s bowl, though Adora doesn’t even look in the fridge. Just the sight of food might make her hurl. She gets her notepad and writes a quick note to Catra. She probably would figure out on her own that Adora went to work, but there was no harm in making sure. Adora puts it on the fridge and walks out the front door and to her truck.

…

When Catra finally wakes up, she can tell that the sun is high in the sky. She raises out of the bed and shuffles to the kitchen to steal herself some breakfast. The note on the fridge catches her eye. She takes it off of the magnet and reads it.

_Catra-_

_I’m sorry about what happened last night. I can talk to you about it when I get home. I’ll be back this evening._

_-Adora_

Catra bites her lip when she’s finished reading. Part of her doesn’t want to talk about it, she already knows that she’s a shitty, insensitive friend. She doesn’t need Adora to tell her that. Catra growls and sticks the note back on the fridge before opening it and digging out some fruit.

She shuffles to the couch, munching on an apple as she plops down and turns on the TV. There’s a dumb romance movie on the channel she’s on. Catra never liked romance movies, she always thought they were cheesy, and the movie could always be over much sooner if the two protagonists just sat down with each other and talked about their damn feelings.

Her stomach started to churn as her mind started to wander to thoughts about Adora. She wished that she didn’t say something so stupid while the blonde looked so vulnerable. Was she embarrassed? Nervous? Or even afraid? Why was she so anxious, sitting in front of her like that with tears in her eyes? Did Catra really scare her that much?

Threats of tears start to prickle in her own eyes. The protagonists on the TV screen are having a sappy moment, and here Catra is, about to have a breakdown while chewing on an apple. The woman on the TV stares dreamily at the man, before stepping on her tippy toes and kissing him on the forehead. Catra groans and changes the channel. The last thing she wants to see right now is some lame, sappy heteromance.

…

Adora’s head is foggy throughout the entire day. Luckily, her friends seem to notice that she’s distant, and don’t pry her too much as she stands behind the register and focuses on a particular spot on the counter and just stays there. A customer occasionally comes to check out stuff, and her brain is on autopilot as she helps them bag up their items, take their money, and wish them a good day.

The entire afternoon is a blur, and her shift is over before Adora realizes how late it had gotten. She sighs as the alarm rings, and she clocks out before exiting the store. Once she’s in her truck and it’s turned on, Adora grumbles as her eyes rest on the gas meter- she’s running a little lower than she’s comfortable with. The last thing she wants to do right now is get gas, but she feels like she has no choice.

Luckily, the nearest gas station isn’t that far away. She pulls up to the pump and fills up her truck before going inside to pay. As soon as she’s inside the building, her eyes unconsciously snap to the coolers in the back- right on the alcohol section. Shame starts to build up in her stomach as she walks over to it. _This is a bad idea. Catra’ll see you for sure if you drink,_ she thinks to herself. Images of her dream suddenly flash through her mind, threatening to make her freak out in front of the cooler door. She squeezes her eyes shut before she opens the door and grabs a case.

After paying, Adora makes her way back to the truck and drives home. The shameful feeling doesn’t leave her as she drives, but there’s an ache in her chest that she can hardly stand anymore. She pulls up in her driveway and grabs the drinks before stepping out of the truck. Her hand rests on the front door handle, but she doesn’t pull it open. She doesn’t want Catra to see her like this. She’s already hurt her enough. Adora sighs, and slumps down on the edge of the porch before taking out a drink and cracking it open. She puts it to her lips and throws it back, letting the burn of the alcohol numb the ache.

…

Catra had listened to just about every single one of Adora’s CDs. Well, she at least tried all of them out- some of them were terrible, and she couldn’t listen halfway past the first song of the album. Her favorite CD, funnily enough, was the first one she had discovered when finding the music player for the first time. That one is the one she listens to now, drowning out her sorrows and worries with heavy guitar riffs and emotional solos.

Time passes quickly while Catra is curled up on the bed listening to the CD player, and she doesn’t realize how late it got. When she finally opens her eyes to pay attention to the room around her, she suddenly realizes that the sky had gotten darker. She sits up and looks around the room in confusion. Adora said that she’d be back in the evening. She looks to a clock, and it’s pushing 8:00PM, two hours later than Adora gets off work.

The entire house is empty, Adora still hadn’t returned. Catra hugs herself in worry. Why was she taking so long to come back home? It was obviously because of her, Catra thinks. If she hadn’t been so damn _stupid. Adora doesn’t need you mooching off of her. You’re obviously gonna end up hurting her, like you hurt everyone else._ Her thoughts seep venom, and Catra clenches her fists before she suddenly hears something outside. Unable to help her curiosity, she slowly walks up to the front door and opens it.

What she finds on the other side is something she isn’t expecting at all.

Adora is leaned up against the side of the porch, hair falling out of her ponytail and a drink in her hand. At the sound of the door opening, the blonde looks up at her and squints her eyes before putting on a big, goofy, drunken smile.

“Hiii Catra,” she drawls, stumbling to her feet. It’s a comedic sight, watching her trip a little before she finally stands up straight. Or, at least, as straight as she can stand in her drunken state.

“Adora?! Are you drunk? Where’d you even find the time to drink?” Catra questions, walking through the doorway and stepping up to the blonde.

Adora giggles and snorts. “I miiight’ve had a few. But ‘s okay! Didn’ drive after, ’m the smart!” she proudly says as she puts her pointer finger against her temple.

Catra scoffs. “Whatever you say, dumb-dumb.”

“’m no dumb, YOU dumb,” Adora retorts lazily as she leans towards Catra, who blushes furiously as there is now barely an inch between them.

“Oookay! Let’s get you inside before you trip over something,” Catra replies before dragging Adora through the doorway and to the living room, giggly voice and all stumbling after her.

Catra gently pushes her down on the couch, which is pretty easy since Adora’s balance is already poor. She flops on the couch with a playful yip before relaxing into the soft cushions.

“Jesus, how many did you even have?” Catra asks as she sits on the couch next to her.

Adora hums in thought, before counting the fingers on her hand. “Dunno. At least five, thas how many I can count,” she drawls, holding up her hand to show Catra.

Catra’s ears lower. “Why did you drink so much, Adora? Was it- was it because of me?” she asks, cursing herself as her voice cracks with emotion.

Adora clicks her tongue. “Nop-e. I saw the bad things last night, an drinkin- _hic..._ helps me feel little better,” she explains lazily.

“Wait, what do you mean by _bad things?_ ” Catra asks, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

The blonde giggles drunkenly again. “You _knooow,_ things that go POP! An BOOM! An… blood. There’s so much blood when the bad comes…” Adora starts to get somber, looking Catra in the eyes with her own pools of blue. “You were there this time. In my arms but I- I couldn’ save you...” she continues, her eyes finally spilling tears.

It suddenly clicks for Catra. Her eyes widen as she recalls Adora’s hands shaking as she was putting on the bandages. She was scared, but she wasn’t scared of _her._ “Hey, hey,” she soothes as she scoots closer to Adora and puts an arm around her. The floodgates open, and Adora clings onto Catra, nuzzling her face into her shoulder as she quietly cries.

Adora smells like alcohol. Catra never liked alcohol. It smells bad, tastes bad, and makes people act like idiots. But Adora also still has that nice scent, the one that’s on her bedsheets. She lets Adora nuzzle into her, and the ponytail finally falls out completely as Catra runs her fingers through blonde hair. “I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’m here. I’m with you, always,” she comforts, wrapping both arms around Adora and pulling her closer.

She pulls away slightly, but only to look into Catra’s eyes again, her face wet and eyes puffy from crying. “Promise?” Adora asks softly.

Catra tries to give her a reassuring smile while she gently cups Adora’s face, wiping away the tears with her thumb. Adora leans into the touch.

“I promise. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Adora looks down, away from Catra’s eyes, but she puts her own hand over Catra’s, keeping it there. “’m sorry I can’ be a good doctor to you. You… deserve the best,” she apologizes in slurred speech.

Catra laughs, almost breathlessly. “Haha, don’t be stupid, no I don’t. Besides, you are the best. To me at least.”

“You do. You’re good,” she insists, pouting.

“Nah, pretty sure I’m bad.”

“No!” She mutters, putting her hands on Catra’s face and pulling forwards to rest their foreheads together. “You make me happy. Happier than stupid drinks,” Adora admits.

That makes Catra’s stomach flutter. Her words, the physical contact, it’s all a lot to her. But her heart pangs; what if Adora was only saying these things because she was under the influence? Despite those thoughts, her lips are so close. What would it be like if she just leaned forward a little?

“And you’re just- sooo cute too. I know you don’ like your ears, but I do,” Adora continues, her hands coming up to gently scratch the bases of them. It’s almost too much for Catra, but she stays, unable to hold back the purr that rumbles in her chest.

“Pft, whatever, _furry,”_ Catra jokes in an attempt to relieve some of the embarrassment she feels.

Adora giggles, before blushing slightly. “Can I ask you a thing?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Her face suddenly gets serious. There are a few seconds of hesitation, and Catra feels like Adora’s gaze is burning through her. “Will you go out with me?” Adora eventually asks.

Catra feels like her insides have been set on fire. There’s no way she can be serious. Her eyes widen and her cheeks flush, before she forces herself back to the present. _This woman is drunk, remember?_

She just chuckles lightly. “Nah. Try asking me again when you’re not shitfaced,” Catra finally answers.

Adora pouts again- it’s really cute, Catra thinks. “Fiiine, won’ remember though.”

Those words make Catra’s expression fall. She wonders if Adora will remember anything from tonight. Part of her hopes for it. “I know I will,” Catra breathes, closing her eyes and still soaking up the attention the other woman is giving her. She never knew how good it felt to have her ears be scratched until now.

When Catra’s eyes open again, she can see Adora focus on something. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asks, and Adora bites her own lip.

Her hand cups the ear with the nick in it. “What happened here?”

Catra goes rigid. Her eyes lower in shame. “I… I’m not ready to talk about that yet,” she mutters, pulling her gaze away from the blonde.

Though Adora is still hammered, she seems to understand. She rests her chin on Catra’s good shoulder. “Whenever you’re ready?” she asks softly.

Normally Catra would make a snide remark or joke to take the focus off of something she isn’t comfortable with. But this is different. She brings her hands up around Adora’s back. “Yeah. Just not tonight.” As she feels Adora nod against her, she feels like her heart is full. Even when Adora could barely form proper sentences, she’s still so considerate, so caring. Catra can feel her leaning on her more, almost putting all of her weight on her.

Catra chuckles. “You tired?”

“Mhm,” Adora simply responds.

“C’mon, let’s get you in bed then,” Catra suggests as she pulls away and helps Adora to her feet. The blonde has to lean against her slightly as they walk to the bedroom to keep her balance, but Catra doesn’t mind it. She helps Adora sit on the bed.

“You need help getting in your night clothes?” Catra asks, and Adora nods sleepily.

It takes a while to find some, but Catra eventually digs out a tank top and some shorts that she assumes Adora would be fine with sleeping in. It’s kind of awkward changing Adora, but the blonde is soon in the night clothes, under the covers and curled up.

Catra lingers, kneeled over on the side of the bed. Adora is looking at her still, eyes wide with an expression she hasn’t seen her wear yet.

“I should let you rest. Get plenty of sleep, okay?” Catra says before she starts to get up and leave. She would’ve left, if she didn’t feel Adora’s hand grab her own.

“Wait,” Adora protests, sounding like a soft whine. “Can… you stay?”

Catra turns back towards her. She’s still looking up at her with those eyes- the gentle blue almost swallows her. But she isn’t sure if this is a good idea. What would Adora think when she wakes up?

Adora seems to notice her hesitation, and she gives Catra’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Don’ want the bad to come back.”

And Catra can’t say no to that. She wasn’t sure she would be able to say no to her pleading eyes, but her drunken words sealed the deal. “Okay. I’ll stay,” she agrees, before lifting the blanket and crawling into the bed, right up to Adora. Just as soon as she’s in bed, strong, gentle arms are wrapped around her and pull her close. Catra can’t stop herself from melting into it.

Their foreheads meet again. Adora is smiling at her like a dork. “Hi,” she says softly when Catra’s eyes open.

Catra smirks. “Hey, Adora. Go to sleep.”

There’s a sigh in response, but soon enough, the blonde relaxes and her breathing evens out. Once she’s sure that Adora is asleep, she carefully shifts into a more comfortable position, with her head resting against the other woman’s chest. Catra falls asleep soon after, cuddled up against Adora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may now check "Drunk Adora" and "Promises" off of your She-Ra fanfic bingo cards


	8. Breaking Down Walls

Sunlight shines through a crack in the curtains, hitting Adora’s face and waking her up. Her eyes flutter open, and her senses hesitantly come to her. She mainly feels two things; the first is an aching, throbbing pain in her head that makes her want to curl under the covers and hide from the light. The second thing she feels is something soft and warm attached to her. She looks down, and she suddenly feels her heart in her throat.

There Catra is, cuddled up to her, nuzzling in her chest. Adora’s mind immediately plummets into the gutter, and she quickly looks under the blanket before breathing out a sigh of relief- they’re both fully clothed. Even so, Adora’s heartbeat refuses to still. Of c _ourse_ she’d get a little too drunk and drag Catra into her dumb mistakes. Though it seems like Catra wasn’t that upset with her, if she agreed to sleep in the same bed as her and cuddle with her like this.

Catra soon whines a little before her eyes open. She looks up at Adora, blinking up at her slowly before sheepishly smiling.

“Hey Adora.”

The blonde grins awkwardly. “Morning,” she starts. “So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how embarrassing was I last night?”

“Oh, definitely a 10. You never told me you were _that_ flexible,” Catra replies with a sly smile on her face.

Adora sits up, groaning and putting her face in her hands in embarrassment. “That bad? I am so, _so_ sorry,” she relents, blushing down to her neck as Catra cackles.

“Hahaha, relax! I’m just messing with you, ya big doof,” Catra chuckles as she sits up and gently punches Adora in the arm.

In response, Adora gives her an unamused look, before smiling herself. “You’re such a jerk,” she complains, though her voice is more fond than angry.

“Whatever, you love me anyway,” Catra shoots back, not letting go of her teasing smirk.

Though Adora wouldn’t admit it, Catra’s teasing helps put her at ease. “Yeah, you’re right. And I guess I’m the real jerk. I… I didn’t want you to see me like that. I don’t drink like that often, but,” she starts to explain, remembering how awful she felt the day before. “Some days I just can’t help it. It gets to be too much. Like.. when I changed your bandages.” Her tone becomes regretful. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad or anything, none of it was you. It was all me. I just- I have trouble treating people, or using medical stuff like that in general. It makes me feel scared. Even though I know there’s no _real_ danger.”

Catra only listens, leaning in a little closer as Adora explained herself. Once she stops speaking, Catra places a hand on her knee. “Hey. It’s not your fault,” she starts, trying to be comforting. “If… if it makes you too uncomfortable, I can just treat myself from now on. I dunno if I’ll be that good at it, but I can figure it out,” Catra offers.

“No!” Adora says, a little too quickly. She curses herself for sounding so desperate. “I mean… It’s fine, I- I want to treat you. While I’ve been taking care of you, I’ve come further to actually being able to use the first aid kit than I have in the past year. And I know that sounds selfish of me, but…” she pauses, and places her hand over Catra’s. “You make me feel not as scared? If you don’t want me treating you anymore, I understand. But I want to.”

Relief that Catra didn’t know she could feel washes over her. Adora did want to tend to her wounds, despite being anxious while doing so. And if there was a chance that she could help Adora, Catra was absolutely going to take it. “Yeah. As long as you’re okay with it,” she says, shifting her hand around to interlock her fingers with Adora’s. “So… is there anything you do remember from last night? Anything at all?” Catra brings up, remembering the question that Adora asked her in her drunken haze.

Adora thinks for a moment. “Uhmm… I remember crying a lot. But that’s about it. Why, are you sure I didn’t do something embarrassing?” she asks, eyes narrowing.

Color comes to Catra’s face as she looks away. “Nah, nothing really. I was just wondering.” It was a lie. Catra was a little disappointed that Adora didn’t remember. She wondered if Adora even still felt that way. There was no way she was going to ask about it; surely Catra would die of embarrassment if she brought it up and got a negative reaction.

“Are you suuure?” the blonde presses on, continuing to squint and lean in.

“Nope. Unless you consider tripping over your own feet embarrassing, which, I can’t blame you for,” Catra replies, neutralizing her complexion with another playful smirk.

“Fine, be like that. I’ll find out sooner or later,” Adora challenges with a smug grin of her own before her eyes get wide in realization. “What time is it? Damn, I’m probably really late for work!” Adora starts to get out of bed, before she has to lean against it as her head spins.

“Woah there, relax. I dunno if you should be going into work after a night like that,” Catra objects, standing up to help Adora steady as she sits back down on the bed. “I’ll give Sparkles a call and let her know you’re not feeling well. Mind if I use your phone?”

Adora’s face gets a little pouty, before she says, “Well, okay. My phone’s in my jeans.”

At that, Catra goes to Adora’s pants, which are piled up in the corner of her room. Surely enough, her phone is in the front pocket. “’Kay, I’ll be back in a few,” Catra announces as she closes the curtains so the room is dark, which Adora silently appreciates as she lies back down onto the pillow.

Catra leaves the bedroom and goes to the kitchen, before opening the phone and going into Adora’s contacts. She eventually finds one that says ‘Glimmer’ with a few sparkle emojis. She smiles to herself- Adora’s such a dork. Catra then hits the dial button, and the phone rings a few times.

_“Adora? Is that you? Where have you been, it’s two hours past opening!”_

“Hey Sparkles, it’s me. I’m calling to tell you that Adora woke up feeling sick, so she can’t come in today.”

_“Oh. It’s you. Why couldn’t Adora just call me herself?”_

“I don’t know if you’ve ever had a splitting migraine, but talking to people while having one doesn’t exactly feel good. I’m just looking out for her.”

_“Ugh. Whatever. Anyway, thanks for letting me know, at least. I’m hanging up now.”_

A thought comes to Catra. “Hey, wait.”

_“…Yeah? What is it?”_

It takes a second for Catra to figure out how to form the question she’s thinking about. “Can you tell me what’s the matter with Adora? She told me that she gets anxious sometimes, and she also said that treating me… helps her with it. So I want to know what’s going on with her.”

_“Oh, wow, she told you all that? That’s amazing, she usually never talks to anyone about those things!”_

Catra starts feeling butterflies in her stomach. “Really?” she says in the receiver softly, playing with the collar of her shirt.

_“Yeah, she must really trust you. So… I’ll tell you what’s happening, but if I find out that you’re mistreating her, or hurting her, I’ll finish that wolf’s job, got it?”_

Wow. It’s cute how this human thinks she’d stand a chance against her. “Like I’d ever want to do that,” she replies simply.

_“You better not. Anyway, Adora has something called PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She used to serve in the U.S. Army as a combat medic, but there was an accident, and she got badly injured and had to be sent home. And… she hasn’t been exactly the same ever since. Please understand that you have to be really careful when talking to her about this stuff. She hasn’t even told me the details about her time in service, but I get the feeling that she blames herself for a lot of the tragedy that happened while she was deployed. I recommend researching it, if you want to help her.”_

She quickly looks for a pen- luckily, there’s one on the counter. She then takes Adora’s note on the fridge and writes what Glimmer said on the back quickly. “Alright, got it. Thanks, Sparkles.”

_“It’s no problem. Remember, I'm telling you this for Adora’s sake. She’s a really good friend to me.”_

“Yeah... Anyway, I’ll let you get back to work. Talk to you later.”

_“Oh, okay. Bye.”_

Catra then hangs up and puts the phone in the pocket of her sweatpants. Never before did she have to interact with people with hangovers, so she isn’t exactly sure what to do to help with one. Headaches and an upset stomach were the only symptoms that she knows of, so maybe water would help? She takes a glass from the cabinet and fills it up in the sink. What else? Painkillers maybe? The bottle is still in the bedroom. Catra takes the glass and returns to Adora.

“Okay, I gave your friend a call. Now drink something,” Catra says as she offers the glass to Adora, who is covering her face with a pillow.

“Ugh, I’d rather not. I’m not sure if I could get anything down,” Adora whines, muffled by the pillow.

“At least sip on it while you take some pills,” Catra pushes on, trying to open the bottle. She has trouble opening the complicated cap. “Uh… take as many as you need,” she eventually orders, giving Adora the entire bottle.

Adora gives her an amused look before opening the bottle and spilling some out. She then takes the water. “Thanks, Catra. For everything. You didn’t have to take care of me like that, but… I really appreciate it,” she admits before taking the painkillers.

Catra smirks, before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Consider us even.”

…

Throughout the day, Catra ends up using Adora as a pillow as the blonde rests and occasionally goes through her phone. It isn’t that Adora minds it, by any means, but she begins to wonder why Catra is suddenly this comfortable with physical contact. She decides to not question her about it and accepts, as well as enjoys it.

“Bleh. I’m never drinking again, I still feel disgusting,” Adora eventually complains, pulling on the front of her tank top.

Catra pulls out an earbud so she can listen to the other woman better. “Maybe taking a shower will freshen you up,” she suggests, putting her music on pause.

“That’s… actually a pretty good idea. I think I’m gonna go do that.”

“Mkay. Oh, you mind if I use your laptop while you’re in there? There’s some stuff I wanna look at.”

“Sure, go ahead,” Adora says, deadpan as she walks out of the bedroom.

Catra takes off the headphones completely and sets the music player to the side before sitting at Adora’s desk and opening the laptop. As soon as she does, her ear flicks as she suddenly hears hurried footsteps getting louder towards the bedroom. The door snaps open, and Catra quickly turns around and sees Adora, face as red as a tomato as she rushes towards the desk.

“Wait wait wait wait wait,” she protests swiftly as she takes the laptop from Catra and quickly turns it away from her.

“Hey! Whats the matter with you all the sudden?” Catra objects, crossing her arms as Adora furiously clicks around on the laptop for a good minute.

“Okay, sorry, that should be good! I forgot about some… _stuff_ I had to take care of, but it should be fine now!” Adora stammers, awkward smile on her face as she steps backwards out of the bedroom.

Catra raises an eyebrow as she watches Adora shuffle out. “Right,” she says, and turns back to the laptop. The internet isn’t something that Catra is super familiar with, but she knows some of the basics, like using google and that stuff. She goes to the search engine and types in what Glimmer said to her. A ton of articles and forums come up, and she begins to feel a little confused. There is so much information, she doesn't know where to start.

Ultimately, Catra decides to go down the line. She looks through everything she can find, symptops, case studies, treatments, anything. Some of the stuff on the websites she goes through does sound a lot like what Adora is going through. Panic attacks, closing herself off from people, sudden behavioral changes were symptoms that Adora seemed to be dealing with. Catra backtracks, and searches for how to specifically help someone with PTSD.

Her research goes on for the entirety of the time that Adora is in the shower, and she even takes some notes on the notepad she found in the kitchen. Once she’s sure she has everything she needs, she closes the tab and settles back on the bed. She looks through the notepad and reviews the notes she took. A lot of it seems like just being generally supportive. It looks easy enough, but Catra feels the smallest feelings of doubt in her mind. This isn’t something that she’s used to. What she has with Adora is the closest she’s ever been with another person, but would she really be able to give Adora the support that the websites say she needs?

As Catra is lost in her thoughts, the door suddenly opens and Adora walks in, a towel around her shoulders as she walks in and plops down next to Catra. “So, what’d you have to look at? What’ve you got there?” she asks and leans over to peek at the notepad. She is able to catch a few glimpses at what Catra had written down, even through her somewhat messy handwriting. Her eyes widen, and Catra quickly puts the notepad to her chest, hiding it.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Catra says, looking away from the blonde.

Adora sighs. “I guess there’s no hiding it now. I meant what I said about making you uncomfortable. If you feel like I’m… too much, when it comes to my anxiety, I need you to tell me.”

Catra finally looks Adora in the eyes. Damn her, always putting others before herself. “That’s not it, Adora. I just feel like I have to know what’s going on, because I…” she trails off. Is this a good idea? Does it even matter anymore? Catra feels her own problems pale in comparison to what Adora goes through on a daily basis. But regardless, she feels the walls coming down.

“I never really known someone like you before. Other creatures like me are rare, and when I do find them, they’re all about territory, trying to assert dominance over each other, all that shallow animalistic shit. But I’ve never been interested in that. Not really,” Catra rambles, bringing her legs up over her bed to hug her knees. “And me and humans aren’t exactly compatible either. Every time I try to get to know a human, they always find out a little too much about me, and one of us just ends up running away because of it. It definitely doesn’t help that whenever I try making friends with humans, I practically get chastised for it. You can thank Shadow Weaver for that,” she goes on, not really thinking about what she’s saying until it’s too late.

Adora tilts her head to the side in confusion. “Shadow Weaver? Who’s that?” she asks.

Catra freezes, before letting out a sigh. “She was my… guardian, I guess? Before I came here. She wasn’t a very good one, mind you. Biggest bitch on the planet,” she continues with a dry laugh. “She’s like me, you could say. She took me in when I was a kid, gave me a home. We butted heads a lot, though. I just couldn’t agree with some of the sick shit she did. So, I eventually got fed up and ran away. And here I am,” Catra goes on, her eyes focused on the floor.

“Anyway, she doesn’t matter. What matters is that I actually want to try and be a good friend for once. I want to be there for you. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I can imagine that it was probably a living hell.” Catra finally turns to Adora, meeting blue eyes full of emotion that takes her back slightly. But she goes on. “You can talk to me, whenever you need to. And I promise I won’t judge you or tease you for it. I want to be there for you, like you were there for me.”

Tears swell in Adora’s eyes, but they don’t spill yet. “Oh, Catra,” she breathes before pulling her in an embrace. Adora is still wet from her shower, but Catra ignores that in favor of returning the hug. It’s as warm and as comforting as the other ones, and Catra’s insides still feel like they’ve been ignited as she relaxes into it.

“Thank you. It’s probably gonna take me some time to open up about everything, but knowing you’ll be there makes me feel better,” Adora admits in a whisper.

“Of course, dummy. It’s the least I could do after you saved me from an insane hospital bill,” Catra jokes as she pulls away.

“Um, I think I saved you from a lot more than just that,” Adora teases, leaning in again with a smug smile.

Catra scoffs in an attempt to stop her face from heating up. “Alright buddy, let’s not get too big of a head. Don’t want you becoming twice the idiot you already are.”

And Adora laughs. It’s a little strange to Catra, but not in an unpleasant way. She didn’t know many people who’d laugh at getting called an idiot, but Adora was just a bundle of exceptions. How did she even manage to get wrapped in this woman’s life? To her, it doesn’t matter. For the first time in months, Catra starts feeling genuine happiness. At the same time, she feels a little silly- all of the fear she felt about opening up to Adora was for nothing. Unable to help herself, Catra laughs along with her. The moment is a type of foreign sweetness to Catra.

“Whatever, jerk. It doesn’t change the fact that we also saved each other,” Adora eventually giggles out, nudging the brunette with her shoulder.

“Maybe next time you get attacked by a giant furball I’ll just let you fend for yourself,” Catra challenges, pushing Adora back. It was meant to be playful, but it comes out a little rougher than she intended. Her eyes widen; she should probably apologize.

But a spark lights up in Adora’s eyes. She smirks, before carefully wrestling Catra and pinning her down against the bed. “You’d really do that to me, huh? After everything we’ve been through?” she teases with an exaggerated tone.

There's a high pitched squeak, but Catra keeps on laughing as she’s pinned down. “You’re such a doofus, I was obviously just joking,” she retorts, pushing her hand up against Adora’s face, earning more giggles from the blonde. The laughter dies down, but Catra’s hand lingers on the side of Adora’s face. She looks up into sparkling blue eyes and feels something tug in her heart. Adora is looking down at her, her smile fading as a new expression flashes across her face. Catra recognizes it as the same one from last night, while she was helping Adora get ready for bed.

They stay like that for a few seconds. Then, Adora’s face gets red before she quickly pulls away. “Er.. well, it’s uhm- getting a little late, I should uh… let you go to bed,” she stammers as she stands up and turns to walk out.

Catra’s eyebrows raise- Adora’s going to leave. She doesn’t want her to do that. “Wait a second,” she protests, and Adora turns back around to look at her. “Did you not want to stay in here tonight?” she asks simply.

“Well, I mean, it wouldn’t matter to me, but… are you sure you’d be comfortable with it?” Adora replies, unable to meet Catra’s gaze.

Catra gives her a short, breathy laugh. “Your bed isn’t that small, genius. Besides, we’ve practically been sharing it for the entire day.”

Adora can’t argue with that. “That’s a good point,” she agrees before stepping over to her side of the bed and crawling under the covers. “Mind if I turn the lights off?” she asks once she’s in bed.

“Nope,” Catra replies quietly as she relaxes into the pillows.

Adora smiles down at her before turning off the lamp. She then rolls over to face Catra. Adora falls asleep first, and Catra just watches her for a while, observing her peaceful sleeping expression. She feels safe, and at home. Catra eventually drifts off soon after. As the night goes on, Adora unconsciously moves closer and wraps an arm around the brunette. Catra does not pull away.


	9. Anchored

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be aware, this chapter gets kind of gruesome near the end, during the flashback portion. It contains a somewhat graphic depiction of a warzone, as well as some doom and gloom. Skip the lined section if that's not something you'd be comfortable with reading.

When Adora comes home the next day, the house is spotless. She walks into the living room to Catra relaxing on the couch. “Wow, look at this place!” she exclaims as she looks around the room in awe. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this clean. Did you do this?” the blonde asks as she turns to Catra, who rolls her eyes.

“No, I hired a maid with the entire five dollars in change I had in my bag. Yes, I cleaned the house,” she replies in a snarky tone, though she can’t hold back a smile. It feels nice to have Adora acknowledge her efforts.

Adora scoffs. “Okay, maybe that question was a bit dumb. But seriously, you didn’t have to do that. Especially with your injury and all.”

Catra shrugs. “I don’t like feeling like a freeloader. If I’m not paying rent, I gotta earn my place one way or another. Besides, the wound doesn’t really hurt anymore, it’s mostly healed by now,” she responds.

That makes Adora’s mouth open slightly in confusion. “Wait, what? You’re joking, right? It’s only been like, what, a week?”

“I think you’re forgetting that I’m a special case. Creatures like me have incredibly resilient bodies. They kind of have to when turning into something that large and energy burning,” Catra explains as she turns to Adora and leans on the armrest. “Needless to say, I heal a little faster than the average human.”

“Catra, that’s… amazing,” Adora breathes, almost unable to comprehend that. Just about everything about Catra is amazing, Adora thinks. Her powers, her strength, everything about Catra was just incredible to Adora. It makes the blonde feel warmth in her chest whenever she thinks about it. “That means we can probably take out your stitches, but I gotta take Swifty for a walk first. You wanna come with?

“What makes you think I’d want to be anywhere near a dog?” Catra retorts, eyes focused on her feet.

Adora’s face falls, before she gets an idea. She steps over to the sofa, right in front of Catra. “Well, for starters, you’d also get to spend time with me,” Adora suggests, holding out her hand, hoping that Catra would take it.

Catra’s eyes flick up to meet Adora’s. She’ll never get used to the way that the blonde looks at her; like she’s the only one in the world who matters. After looking to her hand, and the back to Adora’s face, Catra grumbles and takes it. Adora gives her a wide grin before pulling her up. “I _guess_ I could use some fresh air,” Catra says.

They hold each other’s hands as Adora leads them to the fenced in back yard, where she leashes up the tiny golden retriever puppy. Catra tries not to make too much of a fuss about it, even though she thinks the puppy smells bad, and for some aggravating reason, takes a liking to her.

“Swifty, get down! Give her space,” Adora scolds as the puppy tries to jump up onto Catra, much to her annoyance; she has to bite back a hiss.

Luckily though, once he’s all leashed up and on the other side of Adora, the puppy doesn’t bother Catra anymore. Adora turns back to Catra, smiling as she takes her hand again. “Ready?”

Catra only nods, and she’s led by the blonde out the front door. The path they take isn’t directly into the woods, but a trail that’s pretty much right next to it. It’s later in the afternoon, so the heat had started to die down. Even so, Catra is still in a tank top and shorts, letting her tail free- something she rarely did in public. But she was with Adora, and Adora makes her feel safe. Besides, this isn't exactly 'public,' there aren't any other people in sight, and trees cover both sides of the path they walk on.

“How often do you go on these walks anyway?” Catra eventually asks to break the silence.

“I usually like to take him out a couple times a week, but things have been pretty crazy for the past few days. Hopefully he’s not too mad at me,” Adora laughs out, her voice turning into that high-pitched puppy voice at the end. Swiftwind looks back at her and wags her tail- he sure doesn’t look like he’s mad.

“Yep, hate to break it to you buddy, but I’m stealing your person,” Catra jokes to the pup, sort of in the same tone that Adora used, in a mocking way.

Adora laughs. “Yeah, maybe a little bit. Who knew having a cat takes up so much of your time,” she shoots back, nudging Catra slightly with her shoulder.

“Hey, you can’t say I didn’t warn you about me, because I did!”

“Haha, I didn’t say it was in a bad way! Maybe I like you clogging up my schedule,” Adora deflects, her voice getting low at the end.

It makes Catra chuckle. “Aw, but what’s the fun in that? I like irritating you.”

They laugh, before a very familiar smell crosses Catra’s senses. It hits her like a truck- she stops dead in her tracks.

She thought she ran far enough. She had to have run far enough- she even covered her tracks, hid her scent, didn’t stop running until she was almost hit by a truck because she was too exhausted to pay attention. _It isn’t fair_ , she thinks, _everything was going so well_. Catra’s hair and the fur on her tail bristles up in anger and fear. _I was so happy. Why now? Why here?_

Adora turns back when she notices Catra stop. “You okay?” Adora asks, before the other woman quickly steps in front of her and holds her arm out, like she’s protecting her.

“Stay behind me. There’s trouble.”

Uncomfortable silence follows. Not even birds chirp as they await what's coming next. The only sound at the moment is an occasional hot breeze that blows, shaking the trees around them. Catra looks around, observing. Everything looks fine, peaceful even, as the golden sunlight flickers onto the scene through the leaves. But the uncanny quietness, and the unmistakable scent she picks up tells her that they are not alone.

“Come out already! I know you’re following me!” Catra eventually shouts.

More silence. Catra feels her claws itch in her fingertips. She wants to shift.

Just as Catra is about to call out again, a flash of darkness comes out of the trees besides them. It all happens so fast. The thing that comes out of the forest is massive. Adora thinks that it looks a lot like Catra’s werecat form, but larger, and pitch black- like a panther. Scars cover the big cat’s body from head to toe, and torn maroon cloth is draped over the dark fur. The large black cat snarls and lets out a harsh growl. Not even a second later, Catra shifts. Fur erupts from her shoulders, arms, and legs as she grows into a form that’s twice her human size. Even though her limbs twist, she continues to shield Adora with an outstretched arm. The tank top is still intact, but it hugs her torso tightly; it can’t be all that comfortable for her, Adora figures.

It’s the first time that Adora has seen Catra fully shifted in the daylight. She can’t stop herself from thinking that Catra’s _stunning,_ even as a tiger looking creature. Stripes are marked all over her body, and her mane flows down her back and slightly over her eyes as she glares at their aggressor. It's a stand off.

“ _What are you doing here_?” Catra growls, her voice gruff and huskier than her human voice.

Adora’s jaw drops; she didn’t expect her to still be able to talk.

The other cat hisses. “ _I didn’t raise you to be a fool. You know why I’m here. You’re coming back with me, even if I have to drag you_.”

Catra’s hackles raise, and she gives the offender a loud roar in response. “ _You really wanna try me, old witch_?” she spits.

“ _Enough of this_!” the panther yowls and surges forward.

But Catra is ready for her. She swiftly deflects the panther’s strike and returns a hook of her own. Claws meet fur and flesh, and the pair rise on their hind legs in battle positions. They throw swipes at each other at a rapid pace, like two tigers fighting. All Adora can hear is the agitated snarls and yowls of two very pissed off cat creatures in combat.

The two cats both get sold blows on each other, but by the looks of it, Catra is the quicker, stronger fighter. She manages to overpower the panther. The black cat shifts into a defensive position, on their back. Catra holds them down, and their back legs fling up in an attempt to strike her with the claws on their back paws. The dark cat lands a few strikes, but Catra is resilient and keeps her opponent pinned to the ground.

It looks as if the panther is about to surrender, but Catra knows better. She throws a few more swipes, claws unleashed and hitting their target to ensure that she is still dominant and in control. She then delivers a solid bite to the area between the shoulder and neck, causing the panther to roar in pain.

Catra then assumes a more human like position. She stands up on her rear legs, stepping on the panther’s chest as she towers over them, glaring down and flexing her front claws in an intimidating fashion. “ _Stand down, or I won’t show you mercy_ ,” she threatens.

The panther snarls up at her, but they then scoff. “ _Fine. You are victorious. Now get your filthy foot off of me_!” they hiss.

“ _Not until you shift. I don’t want you trying anything_ ,” Catra spits back.

The black cat glares up at Catra. After a few seconds, they start to shrink, and their limbs twist back into that of a human’s. Once they’re fully changed, an older woman lies below Catra’s still towering form. Adora can see long black hair and a face full of scars on the lady.

“You know I hate being in this form. You have always been a thorn in my side,” the woman complains.

_“Why the fuck are you here then? Just leave me alone,”_ Catra snaps, a growl rumbling in her throat as she speaks down to the older woman.

Adora swallows the lump in her throat, and gathers the courage to speak up. “Um, Catra? Who is that?” she asks timidly.

Catra’s fists clench. “ _Shadow Weaver.”_

“I see you haven’t told your new _pet_ about me. Why am I not surprised?” Shadow Weaver remarks flatly.

“ _Don’t you fucking call her that!_ ”

“Hmm. I see you’ve gotten attached to this one,” Shadow Weaver muses, as she turns her head to look at Adora. “I can certainly see why you’re fond of her. She’s quite the looker,” she continues, causing Adora to step back uncomfortably. Catra bares her teeth and growls angrily. “Oh, hush now, Catra. That was supposed to be taken as a compliment. Even though… you know it’s not going to last.”

“ _You don’t know shit_.”

Shadow Weaver starts to cackle. “Oh, but I do. Remember the last _few_ times you got a little too attached to a human?” she starts, her voice suddenly creepily gleeful. “You practically came _crawling_ back to me, each and every time.”

Catr’s face twists in a snarl once again, but it seems like Shadow Weaver is unfazed by it. “ _It’s different now. She already knows what I am, and she has accepted me for it,"_ Catra protests.

“But how long will that last? The full moon is in a few days. Do you really think she’ll accept you when she sees you in that mess of a state?” the old woman questions.

Shadow Weaver is suddenly hoisted up by the collar of her robes and slammed against a tree. She grunts in pain.

“ _You lose against me physically, so you try to manipulate me into getting your way. Typical. But it’s not gonna work this time_ ,” Catra growls quietly, getting close to Shadow Weavers face. “ _You’re going to run back into the forest, leave this town, and never bother me again, or I will kill you the next time I see you. Got it?_ ” she threatens as she throws Shadow Weavers body towards the woods. The older woman is barely able to catch herself.

Shadow Weaver glares up at Catra, not saying or doing anything for a good few seconds.

“ _GO!_ ” Catra roars as she makes herself as huge and intimidating as she can manage.

Shadow Weaver then shifts, but only to run and disappear into the woods.

Catra has to take a few breaths to steady her adrenaline. She then collapses as she shifts back into a human, and Adora has to run up to her to catch her.

“Catra! Are you okay?” Adora asks, gripping her arms as Catra takes in gulps of air.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. I just need to catch my breath,” Catra replies, her breaths ragged as her voice shakes.

Adora pulls her into a proper hug. “You had me worried there for a second,” she whispers in Catra’s ear.

Catra laughs breathily. “Because of that dinosaur of a lady? Trust me, I could’ve taken her with a blindfold on. I just- I shifted so quick, it took a lot out of me,” she rasps, clinging onto Adora.

The blonde laughs with her, but her tone quickly becomes concerned again. “You sure you’re alright? No scratches or anything?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I was fully shifted, so even if she got a heavy blow on me, it faded almost as soon as it was dealt. I’m just really, _really_ tired. And hungry,” Catra responds.

“Let’s go home then. I’ll make whatever you want for dinner,” Adora offers, moving to support Catra as they start to walk home.

Catra smiles at her. “I’d like that.” She says that, but Shadow Weaver’s words start getting to her. Weather Catra liked it or not, Shadow Weaver was right. The full moon is in a few days. She was born as a werecat, and thus she was able to shift freely, not just during the full moon. But she is still cursed. Catra is one of the lucky ones, and is able to control herself during the night of the full moon, if only slightly. Even so, fear prickles in her stomach. What if she isn’t able to keep her grip on her human side? What if she hurts Adora? She doesn’t think she’d ever be able to forgive herself if that happens

…

They stumble through the front door, and Adora lets Swiftwind off of his leash before he runs back outside through the backyard dog door. Adora supports Catra as they make their way to the living room.

“Do you want to shower or anything before I take off your stitches?” Adora asks.

Catra sighs. “I don’t really want to, but I probably should,” she agrees as they stop in front of the bathroom door.

Adora gives her a comforting smile. “Okay, I’ll let you do that then. Give me a shout if you need help with anything, I’ll be getting the first aid kit ready,” she informs as she opens up the bathroom door for Catra.

The brunette rolls her eyes and smiles. “Okay, mom,” she teases before closing the door.

After Catra is done showering, she calls for Adora, who immediately goes to the bathroom with the first aid kit in hand. “Where do you want me?” Catra asks, towel over herself as she stands in the middle of the bathroom.

“It might be easiest for me if we sit on the floor,” Adora suggests, and Catra obeys.

Once they’re on the floor, Adora picks up her two main tools; her scissors and tweezers. Catra lowers the towel, and Adora tries not to pay too much attention to her bare chest as she makes the first snip. For most of the procedure, Adora does well. She takes all of the stitches off of the biggest cut, before moving onto the smaller one. However, when she gets halfway through removing the stitches on that one, she starts to lose her focus on her task. Her mind starts to bring up those painful memories.

Catra notices Adora’s hands. They have paused and are now trembling. Quickly, but gently, she brings her own hands up to hold Adora’s. “Hey, look at me.”

Her eyes reluctantly flick up to meet Catra’s. But it doesn’t last long- she looks back at the wound, and her trembles worsen.

“Adora,” Catra tries again, caring but firm, bringing up a single hand to cup her face. “I’m here. I’m with you. Remember that.”

Adora sniffs, and nods. “I- I know, I’m just- I’m losing myself,” she says, her voice cracking.

“Go at your own pace, okay? Don’t force yourself,” Catra soothes as she rubs her thumb across the side of Adora’s jaw. The blonde sighs and leans into it, her eyes closing.

Catra decides to take a risk. She lets the towel fall completely, and she raises herself to softly press her lips against Adora’s forehead. It’s so intimate. More intimate than Catra has ever been with anyone. But any part of her that might feel embarrassed or fearful is overshadowed by the sheer amount of adoration she has for the other woman. This just feels right.

The blonde gasps lightly. The gesture shocks her, but she feels her cheeks color as she’s able to find herself again.

Catra sits back down, still close to Adora as she continues to stroke her face with her thumb. “I’ve got you. I’ll always have you,” she whispers.

Adora’s lips curl up into a relaxed smile, and she gazes lovingly into the other woman’s eyes. Her fears slowly start to fade, and the fog around her clears as all of her attention is now on the woman in front of her. “Thank you, Catra. I think I’m ready to keep going now.”

Catra returns the smile, and nods before sitting back once more. Adora cuts the last of the ties before taking out the threads and tossing them away. She then sits back and sighs deeply. Catra grabs her shirt and slips it back on as Adora puts her tools back in the bag.

“How’re you feeling now?” Catra asks, sitting down next to and leaning on Adora, who has her back against the tub.

Adora grins down at her. “Still a little shaken up, but I’m fine. Thanks to you,” she replies, reaching out for Catra’s hand before she interlocks their fingers.

Catra rests her head on Adora’s shoulder. “Anytime, Princess.”

“Princess? That’s a new one,” Adora chuckles.

“Do you not like it?” Catra asks, her ears lowering slightly.

“I didn’t say that,” Adora says as she rubs Catra’s thumb with her own. The nickname makes her heart flutter, she didn't think Catra would be the type to use pet names like that. “Just not used to being called something other than ‘idiot,'" she continues.

Catra laughs. “You are an idiot,” she teases. “But… I think I like calling you ‘Princess’ better.”

“I think I like them all,” Adora mutters, before biting her lip. She feels safe here. Safer than she ever felt before. Maybe now was a good time to let some of her demons out of the cage. “Hey, Catra?”

“Hmm?” Catra hums, nuzzling deeper into Adora’s shoulder.

“I think… I think I’m ready to talk about some of the stuff that happened to me. If you want to listen.”

Catra sits up and looks Adora in the eye. “I’m always willing to listen to you, Adora. Always,” she responds. "Just don't push yourself."

Adora takes a deep breath. “Okay. I promise I won't. So… where to even begin?” she starts, looking up at the ceiling. “It all started a long, long time ago. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a doctor. A surgeon, specifically. But one day, I was presented with an opportunity that I thought would change my life for the better.”

* * *

"The Army?! Oh, I don't know Adora, doesn't that seem like a little much?" Glimmer asks, scooting to the edge of her chair as her face shows concern.

“Okay, yeah, I know how it sounds. But think about it, Glimmer! I could save so many people! I could give so many soldiers a second chance,” Adora explains, her voice full of optimism, with a hint of whimsy to it.

Glimmer bites the inside of her cheek. “If this is really what you want, I’ll support you one hundred percent. But Adora, you’ve been training to be a surgeon for years. What made you so set on this?”

Adora shrugs. “Just the idea of helping people who really, really need it like that.”

It wasn’t technically a lie. A recruiter did talk to her a few days prior, and boy, did he hype up the army. He told Adora things like she’d be a hero, that it was the most noble cause out there, and that her country would be indebted to her. But she didn’t care about the glory- not that much. She just wanted to save lives.

And so, after Adora graduates, she enlists as a combat medic.

She goes through her training, which she excels at; she’s at the top of her class. The higher ups quickly become impressed by her determination and skill, and she gets deployed. At first, Adora is excited. She’s actually going to see active duty, after all. But after the first few days staying at the desert base, she starts having doubts, and begins to feel homesick. But she had to push those feelings down. She’s in the army now. She can’t afford to have second thoughts. The first few medivacs Adora goes through are understandably stressful. This isn’t just training anymore, these are actual, life or death situations. And not every soldier she treats makes it.

A few months of this new lifestyle passes. As Adora waits for her next mission, the sounds of helicopters echo in Adora’s mind. She’ll never be able to forget the hot, arid climate that brushes against her skin as the chopper flies above the desert. Her stomach ties itself in knots as she feels the aircraft lower to the ground as orders sound through the communication systems. The helicopter lands, and her comrades hurriedly stand to their feet. She follows suit, ready to move.

Adora and her comrades rush into the medivac- three bodies are put in bags, two on cots. They are all to be carried back into the helicopters. As she’s carefully loading an injured man onto a cot, she hears a pained cry from a few feet away. Her head snaps up to look at the source of the sound. She sees a small pair of legs poking out from behind a pile of rubble. “Somebody check over there!” she shouts, and a few soldiers hurriedly go over to the scene.

As the cot passes her, she catches a glimpse of what it was; a boy who couldn’t be any older than twelve is on his side, clutching his abdomen. From here, it looks like a bullet wound. She turns back to the man she’s helping secure and assists her squad in lifting the cot. They then start carrying him back to the helicopter.

Adora feels the weight of the cot she is carrying and doesn’t allow herself to look down, only forward, to a temporary safety. She and the other soldiers load their cot onto their chopper, and a collective sigh of relief is shared throughout the aircraft. They are raised by the blades and carried back to base.

It’s a race against time when taking the injured soldiers back to the surgical tent- both of them have life threatening injuries. The status of the child is unknown. The men are rushed to the tent.

“Grayson! You’re with me!” a voice calls out, and Adora turns to it before hurrying to the other medic.

“What’s his status?” Adora asks, quickly putting on surgical gloves.

Her partner is another woman about her age. “Right now, it looks like fractures on the left radius and right tibia. Arm’s compressed, leg’s oblique. We need to stop the bleeding quick before we can set them,” she explains quickly as she presses gauze against the man’s arm.

Adora goes to get her own gauze, only to find that there is none left in the container. “Where’s the gauze?” she asks, turning towards her partner.

“Don’t look at me, it was Smith’s job to resupply.”

“Smith!” Adora shouts.

Another medic, a younger man over the injured child quickly looks up. His hands are on the kid’s bullet wound- his torn shirt hadn’t been removed yet. “The medivac order came up while I was resupplying, I didn’t have time to get more gauze!” he explains, his voice almost panicked sounding as he tries to stop the bleeding. “I’ll go get more!”

“No, keep applying pressure to that wound!” A bigger man checking for further injuries on the kid orders.

“Just stay with the kid and do what your partner says. I’ll get the supplies we need,” Adora announces as she hurriedly grabs her first aid bag and exits the tent.

“G _et back, take cover!_ ”

Adora barely gets three steps out of the tent before hearing that shout.

She is just able to turn around, when she is pushed back by something loud and _hot_. The power of the blast throws her back and against a large rock. Her body collides violently against the jagged surface, and she slumps down to the ground.

She is out for a few seconds. Her vision soon comes back to her, though it is blurry and distorted. Her head is just barely able to lift up enough for her to get a glimpse at the tent- or what is left of it. Ripped pieces of cloth burn around it. Black char and cinder stain the ground and float through the air.

Adora’s ears ring, and her head feels like it had been split open, but she eventually is able to hear the muffled sounds of screams and gunshots echo through the base. She tries to pull herself off of the ground. Warm, red blood spills on the ground as she tries to get to her feet.

It’s hopeless. She falls to the ground again, and is only able to watch the first aid bag, bandages and tape spilling out of it as gunfire and explosions erupt in the distance. The image burns itself in her mind. She soon officially loses consciousness.

* * *

Adora pauses after that.

Catra’s eyes soften, and she gives Adora’s hand a gentle squeeze.

Adora appreciates the gesture. “None of my squad mates made it out alive. I’m one of the few that survived the entire thing,” she continues, her voice breaking as she feels herself start to cry. “As it turns out, the injured kid had explosives attached to him. Once those went off… the rest of the ambush followed suit. It’s my fault so many people died that day.”

“Don’t say that,” Catra protests, her voice stern. “You didn’t know. You couldn’t have. Someone failed to check him, that wasn’t your fault.”

Hot tears drip down Adora’s chin. The guilt comes back, heavy in her chest as she feels herself start to sob. “I should’ve checked him. I should’ve made sure! Why did it have to be me? I didn’t deserve to be the only one to make it out alive, I…” she’s stopped by Catra pulling her in for a hug.

“I don’t want to hear anymore talk like that. You are the bravest, strongest, and kindest person I know. You didn’t deserve to go through any of that, you hear me?” Catra objects as she clings onto her tighter. She feels tears build up in her own eyes. “I don’t know where I’d be if you didn’t find me, Adora. I am so, so grateful that you’re a part of my life.”

Those words are what Adora needs to hear. She squeezes her arms around Catra, sobbing softly. Catra whispers soft praises and reassurance to her as she runs her fingers through the blonde ponytail. Adora doesn’t know how long she cries as Catra holds her in her arms, but the brunette refuses to let go until Adora stops. In any other situation, it would be almost unbearably painful to relive those memories. But with Catra here with her, Adora feels safe and grounded. She eventually stops crying, and she pulls away.

Catra reaches up to the counter top to grab a box of tissues. Adora gratefully takes one before wiping her eyes and blowing her nose. She finishes and tosses the tissue into the trash before sitting back and taking a deep breath.

“You all good?” Catra asks, her hands on Adora’s shoulders.

Adora gives her a sheepish grin. “I’ve definitely been worse. It felt good to get it out of my system,” she admits.

Catra returns the smile. That’s what she was hoping for. She stands up and offers a hand to Adora. “C’mon then, I’ll help you make dinner.”

Adora takes it.


	10. Changes

The next few days go by as exciting as any. Adora comes home from work in the afternoon, and Catra usually wants to take up her time for the rest of the evening. Catra goes out of her way to be near Adora at all times, and if Adora is being completely honest with herself, she wouldn’t have it any other way. They get increasingly touchy feely with each other. Adora usually asks before she touches Catra, but she never gets no for an answer. Catra, being Catra, usually just goes for it whenever she wants physical contact.

Despite this, Adora has yet to properly ask Catra out on a date. She comes close sometimes, but she never gets all that far. Even with all of their playful banter, when they get close to sealing the deal, the two of them are reduced to blushy, stuttery messes when it comes to trying to make it official.

The closest Adora gets happens after she got off of a phone call with Glimmer. She walks out of the bedroom and to the couch in the living room, which Catra is chilling out on. Adora smirks and leans over the back of it. Catra smiles up at her. “Hey Adora.”

“What’s new, pussycat?” Adora says smugly down at the relaxing woman.

Catra blinks a few times, trying to register what the _fuck_ Adora just said to her. “Uh, what the hell?” she asks dumbly.

Adora fails to hold back a snicker. “I take it you’re not a fan of Tom Jones, then?”

“Not a fan of anything that calls me _that,”_ Catra replies, her voice twisting with exaggerated disgust.

“I’m sure I have a CD of his, if you want to give it a listen!” Adora offers with a smug grin.

Catra cringes. “Yeah, I think I’m good, thanks.”

“Maybe you don’t have a _choice_ ,” Adora teases, leaning farther over the couch to get closer to Catra’s face. “I might just play it twenty-one times in a row and force you to listen to it!”

Catra snorts and rolls her eyes. “You’re not making any sense, weirdo,” she states with a fond smile.

“I just wanted to find a catchphrase for you, since you have one for me and all. Looks like I’ll have to keep looking for one,” Adora muses as she reaches down and scratches gently under Catra’s ear; she doesn’t bother trying to hold back a purr. It makes Adora coo inwardly- Catra is such a cutie. “Anyway, I thought I’d ask you something,” she continues.

Catra looks up at her, eyes half lidded. “Hmm, what is it?” she mutters, soaking up the attention Adora is giving her while trying not to get her hopes up.

“Well I… I just got off the phone with Glimmer, and she told me that one of our friends is having a birthday party soon. There’s gonna be a concert, and since you like music so much, I thought maybe… you’d like to go with me?” Adora asks, her face in a hopeful expression.

A birthday party? That doesn’t sound quite like ‘date’ material. Catra isn’t exactly disappointed, at least Adora thought about her when hearing about this event from Glimmer. “How many people are gonna be there? I’m not exactly a party person,” Catra asks. Maybe if it were only a few of her friends, she wouldn’t mind it. She’d just cling to Adora the whole time and hope that none of her other friends took up too much of her attention.

Adora clicks her tongue. “Well… this particular friend is pretty, uh, outgoing? So knowing him it’s probably going to be a little crowded,” she admits, her heart sinking a little bit. She didn’t want to force Catra into a situation she wouldn’t be comfortable with. “You know what, let’s just forget about it, it’s not that big of a deal!” she starts deflecting.

“When is it?” Catra simply replies.

Adora looks back down at her. “Next Tuesday.”

“Alright. Sounds good,” Catra confirms.

“Wait, are you sure? You don’t have to come just because I asked you to,” Adora says, starting to feel a little bad.

Catra just tilts her head in thought. “It can’t be that bad. And if it is, I’ll just go home.” _I want to spend time with you,_ she also wants to say, but holds back.

At that, Adora smiles hesitantly. “Yeah, of course. I’ll take you back if you aren’t having fun.”

“There’s no need for that, wouldn’t want to take you away from the party,” Catra tries to object, but Adora is persistent.

“Its no problem, I’m sure my friends would understand- half of them’ll probably be drunk by that time,” Adora reassures. “Besides, I’d rather hang out at home anyway. We could watch a movie or something after,” she offers, doing her best to sound smooth about the whole thing. As if this whole conversation wasn’t trying to set up a date night.

“Yeah, whatever’s fine. Just as long as I’m keeping you out of trouble,” Catra jabs.

Adora rolls her eyes. “Okay, tell yourself that if it makes you happy,” she replies as she retreats and goes to the kitchen.

Catra finds herself missing the contact as soon as it’s gone. She holds back a sigh. She really, really has it bad. The ever-looming threat of the full moon crosses her mind. Catra thinks that she shouldn’t make promises like that. No matter how much it frustrates her, she has to admit that Shadow Weaver had a point. There was no telling what is going to happen on that night. She starts to wonder how much time she has left; a few days have passed since their encounter with Shadow Weaver, so that means it should be coming up quick.

The options Catra has are limited. She could stay here, and hope that everything goes well, or… her eyes snap to the front door. She could make an excuse and run away for the night. But what if one of the werewolves found her? Whatever nightmare inducing trip she’d become wouldn’t hold a candle to what those mangy dogs go through. It makes her shudder just thinking about running into one of them.

Catra is soon interrupted by Adora returning to the couch, two bowls in hand. “Eat up. Careful, it’s still hot.”

“Let me guess, leftovers?” Catra questions as she takes a bowl. Her suspicions are confirmed. Pasta from a few days ago sits in the bowl.

“Hey, I can’t afford to make something new every night, food doesn’t grow on trees.”

“Oh yeah? Then explain apples, oranges, pears, lemons…”

“Ugh, you _know_ what I meant, smart alec,” Adora complains as Catra cackles on the other side of the couch.

The sun goes down as the two women eat dinner. As Catra is finishing up her last few bites, she starts to notice something strange. The pasta starts tasting overwhelmingly strong. She then is able to smell it as well, along with everything in the living room all at once. Catra freezes; she is definitely experiencing sensory overload. The bowl she’s holding is set down on the coffee table, and she rubs her temples in an attempt to block it, or at least slow it down.

Adora takes notice of how Catra is acting. “Is there something wrong?” the blonde asks, getting more concerned by the second as Catra spaces out.

After a few seconds, she comes to herself again. “Yeah… I think so, I’m just… everything’s so… bright,” she attempts to explain, but it doesn’t make that much sense to Adora.

“I can turn off the lights if you’re getting a headache,” she offers as she stands up and starts walking over to the lamp.

“No, no, It’s not that it’s…” a realization suddenly hits Catra. “Shit, what day is it?” she asks before stumbling over to the calendar posted on the wall. Her eyes widen as she looks at today's date. The full moon is supposed to be _tonight._ “Son of a bitch, I thought I had more time!” Catra rasps as she clutches her head with both hands. She has to make a decision, and fast. Stay here and let Adora deal with the consequences of having a monster in her house, or bolt for the night.

She suddenly feels a warm hand on her shoulder. Catra turns and looks at Adora’s face, which is now full of concern. “What’s going on?” she simply questions.

Catra swallows hard. “I-I was born in this curse, so I can control my powers whenever I need to. But-“ she’s interrupted by a rapidly growing heat in her chest. Her mind gets foggy and she starts feeling dizzy. There’s a grunt of discomfort as she suddenly feels a sharp pain in her mouth and fingertips, the first physical signs of uncontrollable shifting. “-But I’m gonna change tonight. I can’t stop it,” she says as the air around her becomes hot and suffocating. Though it’s nothing compared to the red-hot swirling in her chest and abdomen.

“Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?!” Adora asks in a frantic tone as she supports Catra.

But it’s no good. A new wave of heat crashes over her, and she collapses to the ground. _Fuck._ It’s so much worse this time around, why the hell is it this bad? Catra’s thoughts get jumbled in her head, and she’s unable to hold it back anymore. A cry of distress erupts from her throat as her hands suddenly sprout claws that dig into the carpet below her, shredding it up.

“Catra!” Adora exclaims as she kneels down in front of her.

Catra’s cry turns into a growl as her limbs twist and turn. The ache in her teeth is relieved as her fangs grow into their full size. Her eyes open and stare down the woman in front of her. Her instincts become scrambled as Adora’s scent floods her nose, and all kinds of signals blare in her head. She feels scared, hungry, and angry, all at once. But as she takes in Adora’s presence, and her concerned expression cuts right through all of the animalistic emotions she feels. Looking at the blonde allows her to temporarily snap out of it. This isn’t good. She has to leave, for Adora’s sake. Before she accidentally hurts her.

“ _Sorr…y…_ ” she manages to growl out before shaking off Adora’s grasp. Catra then bolts to the front door, tearing it open with inhuman strength before sprinting into the forest.

“Catra! Wait!” Adora shouts before running after her. She barely makes it outside to see Catra’s shadow disappear behind the trees. “CATRA!” she screams into the darkness. Adora can’t just let her run into the woods like that. She must be so scared, she shouldn’t have to go through this alone. Adora’s face hardens with determination before she runs back into the house. She throws on a jacket and grabs the old shotgun for good measure, then goes outside to the pickup truck. She has a feeling where Catra might’ve run off to.

…

The only other place Catra knows is the old shack, so she decides to take shelter there. She sulks into the broken-down door. Her claws still itch. She needs to wear them down; she proceeds to do so onto every surface in the small building. She tears up just about every fabric she can find, and leaves claw marks all over the walls and floor of the shack. Despite her rampage, it isn’t enough. She still feels hyperactive and fearful at the same time. Catra throws her head back and lets out a frustrated roar that echoes off of the ruined wooden walls.

Her mind is too fogged up by cat-like instincts to have many complex thoughts. Even so, she can’t help but feel an overwhelming pang in her heart. Looking around at the mess she made of the shack, the little human in her that’s left feels utterly ashamed. Shame turns to anger, and the rage bubbles up in her chest as she feels the need to let it out again. She continues to wreck and break anything and everything that she can get her paws on. It’s an unfair, painful cycle.

She eventually has enough of tearing shit up. Nothing Catra does helps the pain she feels. She soon decides to exit the shack to climb up onto the roof. She hopes that the climbing will calm her, if only slightly. Her claws scratch up against the outside walls as she climbs, and soon enough, she is able to pull herself up and onto the roof. Once she’s up, Catra tiredly pads over to the very edge and sits down, staring over it, like a gargoyle. Her tail comes around to hug her legs as she observes her territory.

…

Adora practically sped the entire way while driving to the general store. She feels insanely lucky that no cops are on duty tonight- for more than one reason. Adora’s truck swerves sloppily into the nearest parking spot to the forest, before she grabs her gun and runs through the trail leading to the shack. She hopes and prays to anything that might be listening that Catra is there, and okay. The shack is soon in her vision, and she stops to catch her breath. After a few seconds, Adora steps up to the small building, and something on the roof catches her eye. The full moon shines above, and Adora is able to make out the silhouette of a large cat creature, with stripes and a flowing mane.

“Catra…” Adora gasps out.

The beast’s ear flicks, before her head snaps over to look at the intruder. She bares her teeth when she sees the blonde, before sneaking over silently to the window on the far side. She silently slips into it.

Adora huffs. She carefully makes her way to the doorway, and peers inside. It’s dark, so she can’t see that well, but she is able to spot Catra slumped over in the corner and facing away from her. “Catra,” she calls out softly. She carefully sets the shotgun down on the ground, before taking a step inside. Catra’s ears flatten, and she gives Adora a low growl in warning. Adora stops for a second, before swallowing her fear and taking another step towards the werecat. Something that feels like glass crunches beneath her feet. She just notices how messy this place is, compared to when they last came here.

“Catra, please let me help you,” Adora pleads as she takes another step. “I know you’re scared, but you don’t have to do this alone.”

At that, Catra slowly turns to her. If Adora isn’t going to listen to her warnings, she’ll have to _make_ her listen. The werecat turns to her completely before standing up, almost reaching the ceiling as she puts herself in a towering, threatening position. A harsh snarl flashes across her teeth before she lets out the fiercest roar she can manage, bristling up as she tells Adora to _go away_ in the only way she can in this state.

At first, Adora is afraid. But she refuses to leave; refuses to even take a step back. _Catra is probably much more frightened than you are right now, and she needs you,_ Adora convinces herself. Her eyebrows furrow as she looks up at Catra, fists clenching as determination overshadows terror. “Don’t you give me that,” she starts sternly, daring to take a step forward. Catra’s eyes widen in surprise. “I know what you’re thinking. You think I look at you, and all I see is a monster. Even after getting to know you, befriending you, and caring for you, you still think I see you as this unlovable creature. But you’re wrong.”

Another step forward. Catra stands her ground.

“If I have to convince you a thousand times that you are not only not a monster, but a good, caring, amazing person, then mark my words, I will. But I will never, _never_ abandon you. You hear me?” Adora declares, taking yet another step. She’s right in front of Catra at this point, and she has to look up to meet her glowing, mismatched eyes. “It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a human with cat ears, or even a full cat like this. Even if you growl, hiss, and snap at me, I will not let you go through this alone. You didn’t leave me alone while I was scared, so I’m not giving up on you, no matter what.”

Finally, it seems like something that Adora said gets through to Catra. The snarl on her face fades, and her eyes begin to soften as she looks down at Adora. Slowly, as Adora’s speaking, Catra lowers herself, back on all fours so she can be at eye level with the blonde.

“You have already shown me your true side. The side of you that cares, the part of you that’s kind.” Adora very slowly brings up her hands to hold each side of the werecat’s face. “And I love you, Catra. I love everything about you. Ever since you started staying with me, you have made getting through the days not only bearable, but _wonderful_. There’s no place I’d rather be than by your side, holding your hand,” Adora breathes, now close enough to touch Catra. “You really are my light, no matter what you think of yourself,” Adora confesses as she leans up to rest her forehead against Catra’s, unable to hold back tears as they slip down her cheeks. She eventually shifts her head to place a soft kiss on Catra’s face, right between her eyes. Catra’s eyelids slowly close, and a low, loud purr rumbles all throughout her body.

The sensation makes Adora laugh shakily. She feels relief wash over her like a tidal wave. “There you are,” she whispers as she runs her fingers through Catra’s mane with one hand, and scratches behind an ear with the other.

And Catra just _melts_ into it. Her purr grows even louder, as she headbutts Adora and nuzzles her. Catra gives the blonde a few chuffs before throwing her paws around her and pulling her against Catra’s fluffy body.

Adora chuckles as she’s pulled in, and lets herself feel Catra’s fur. It’s softer on the front of her body, under her chest and tummy, but a little rougher on the back where her stripes are. Catra doesn’t stop rubbing against her, and she pushes her muzzle against the side of Adora’s head every few seconds. Eventually Catra takes her paws away, only to stand on the ground and circle Adora, rubbing her entire body against her, almost like a housecat rubbing against their owner’s leg.

“It looks like somebody _likes_ me!” Adora teases as she rubs both hands across Catra’s back. Catra gives her a low whine in response, and Adora laughs.

“You wanna stay here tonight?” Adora asks in a whisper.

Catra only chuffs and lies down on her side. Adora grins and scoots next to her. The big cat suddenly rolls over on her back, and blinks up slowly at Adora. 

The blonde smiles down at her before carefully rubbing the big cat's tummy. Catra makes no fuss about it, she only sighs happily. “I’m gonna use you as a pillow. Is that okay?” she asks. Another chuff. Adora takes that as a yes, and cuddles up to Catra. The werecat rests a paw on Adora’s back, keeping her close and in place, even though Adora doesn’t plan on going anywhere. She falls asleep surprisingly quickly, lulled to sleep by the sound of Catra’s low purrs.

Sometime early in the morning, while the pair are still sleeping, the moon sets. Catra’s body gets smaller, and her limbs start shifting back into a human’s. Adora is awoken by the feeling of Catra shifting under her, and she quickly sits up. Once Catra has changed back completely, her eyes flutter open.

“Hey Adora…” Catra breathes.

Adora smiles at the woman below her. “Hi,” she replies softly. Her eyes widen at the realization that Catra is completely naked. She goes scarlet, before swiftly shuffling off her jacket and draping it over Catra’s shoulders.

“How honorable,” Catra comments, pulling the jacket over herself. It’s a snarky response, but she greatly appreciates it. The jacket is warm and smells like Adora. “…Thanks. Not just for this, but for… y’know, staying with me,” Catra continues, ducking her head away from the blonde as she suddenly feels timid.

“Of course, Catra. I meant what I said, about not leaving you alone,” Adora replies, her stomach starting to flutter as a question pops in her head. “Speaking of which, do you… remember everything? About what happened last night?”

Catra raises her head to look Adora in the eyes. It’s a little ironic to her- they’ve had this conversation before, but it’s in reverse now. “Not everything, some parts are foggy. But…” she pauses, biting her lip before she raises her hand and cups Adora’s face. “… I love you, too.”

Adora’s eyes go wide, and a grin slowly spreads across her face. “Really?”

Catra chuckles sheepishly. “Yes, really, dumb-dumb.”

“Like, _love_ love me?” Adora asks again, hoping that she isn’t still asleep and dreaming.

Catra snorts. “You big, beautiful idiot,” she responds, leaning forward to put her forehead against Adora’s. “I’ve been waiting for you to say those words since you drunkenly asked me out.”

Adora’s cheeks flush. “You liar! You told me I didn’t say anything embarrassing!” she complains as she pulls back, giving Catra a pouty look.

“Well I didn’t want to tell you! I wanted…” Catra trails off. “I wanted to make sure you actually meant it. I wanted for it to be real, instead of drunk bullshit.”

The blonde’s face softens again. “Well, now you know. I love you, for real,” Adora repeats as she cups Catra’s face, causing her to purr quietly. “So… can I kiss you?”

Catra feels like her heart stops. Her eyes widen, and her face lights up. She can’t find words, so she only nods eagerly. Adora gives her a small smile, before tilting Catra’s chin up. She leans in and gently presses their lips together. It’s short and chaste, and they both pull away, their faces crimson as they stare into each other’s eyes.

It doesn’t take long for Catra to pull her in again. This kiss is hungry, greedy even, with Catra thinking that she needed this more than anything else. The way their lips just fit perfectly together makes Catra sigh and grab at Adora’s shirt, feeling needy and in bliss. She unintentionally brushes her tongue against Adora’s lips, causing her to let out a surprised sound. Catra then pulls away, breathing heavily as the two women look into each other’s eyes.

“That was… wow… are you okay?” Adora asks, a little concerned at the brunette’s sudden withdraw.

Catra nods. “More than okay. But- it’s just… I’m not wearing any pants,” she says meekly, looking down and ears flattening. Normally that wouldn’t be something she minds as much. However, for one reason or another, she just feels incredibly exposed like this- out in the woods, after just confessing her love. It feels like the wrong place for all of this.

Adora flushes. “Oh! Right, sorry! Let’s go home?” she offers, before standing up and holding out a hand to Catra. She takes it, and Adora helps her to her feet.

“Yeah. I think I’m ready to sleep in a proper bed,” Catra states as she pulls the jacket further over her body. Luckily, it’s a pretty big jacket, so it easily covers her up completely. Even though it comes down to her knees almost, Catra is glad that they don’t run into any other people during the walk back to the car. The drive back is almost uncomfortably quiet, and Catra hugs herself in the passenger seat. Her hand subconsciously comes up to brush her finger across her lips, still feeling the ghost of Adora’s there. It makes her heartbeat pick up when thinking about it. She wants to do it again, as soon as possible.

Immediately after the car pulls up next to the house, Catra goes to the bedroom to change. She slips on a shirt and some shorts, as well as slipping Adora’s jacket back on- she isn’t getting it back unless she asks for it. There’s a knock at the door. “Are you decent?” Adora asks behind the closed door. Catra hurriedly steps up to the door and opens it.

Adora barely manages to flash a single smile before Catra pulls her in by the shirt for another kiss. It is a lot more sudden than the other ones, but just as, if not even more passionate. Adora returns it eagerly. Catra’s hands come up, sliding up Adora’s shoulders and behind her neck. Admittedly, Catra is very inexperienced when it comes to this stuff, so some of it is pretty awkward for her. She doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing, all she knows is she wants more. In the heat of the moment, her tongue accidentally brushes against Adora’s lip again. But before Catra has the chance to get embarrassed about it, she’s surprised as she suddenly feels Adora’s mouth open and her tongue touches hers.

This should be gross. Normally, it would be to Catra. So why doesn’t it feel that way? It’s an enigma to her, being able to explore and push against the other woman with a foreign kind of hunger, and be, for the most part, okay with it. A content noise slips out of Catra’s mouth, only adding fuel to the scorching fire. As good as it feels, Catra gets the need to pull away slowly, before she gets burned by it. So, she does, and Adora chases after her for a split second before their lips finally disconnect.

As Catra catches her breath, she finds that somewhere along the line, she pushed Adora up against the doorframe. Her cheeks redden as she peers into blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

“We just made out,” Adora breathes in disbelief, and Catra laughs breathily.

“Oh, really? I thought we were playing poker,” she teases as she runs her fingers through blonde hair.

Adora scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Still as snarky as ever.”

“Would you have it any other way?”

Adora then smiles sweetly, before leaning back in and giving Catra a short kiss. “Absolutely not,” she murmurs as their foreheads rest together.

“I can’t believe we get to do that now,” Catra admits quietly. “Whenever we want.”

“Whenever we want,” Adora repeats softly as she rubs her thumb under one of Catra’s ears.

Catra’s heart feels warm and full; this is definitely the happiest she has ever been in her life. She suddenly yawns, remembering how worn out she is. “I’m gonna crawl in bed. Nap with me?”

“Sure. As warm and cuddly as you were last night, sleeping on you wasn’t as comfortable as it looks,” Adora confesses as she follows Catra to the bed.

Catra snorts. “Yeah, because I’m not a _bed_ ,” she retorts, but a fond smile is glued to her face as she rests on the pillows. Warm arms wrap around her from behind, and pull her against Adora’s body. Catra sighs in content as she lets the blonde spoon her. She brings her hand to hold Adora’s, which is resting on her waist.

“I think I’ll just stick to sleeping next to you, rather than on top of you,” Adora jokes as her eyes slowly shut.

At that, Catra grins and gives the blonde’s hand a squeeze. “Sounds good to me, Princess.”


	11. Night of Fire

Happiness wasn’t an emotion that Catra had felt often before Adora found her. More often than not, her days were clouded with bitterness, anger, and regret as she tried to just make it to the next day without breaking something important. All of that misery she felt sits at the back of her mind like a ghost as she lies awake, staring at the woman in bed next to her. She doesn’t miss those times. Not one bit. But all of this? It is something she would have to get used to.

Adora’s face is always nice to look at. At first Catra thought it was jealousy that she felt, looking at that cheery smile and those eyes of deep blue that seemed endless whenever she stared into them. Those same eyes were closed now, loose strands of golden blonde hair slightly covering them as Adora lightly snores against the pillow. Catra doesn’t care how creepy she feels doing it; observing Adora is one of her favorite pastimes. Sleep still clung to her eyelids, threatening to overtake her and drag her back to the void of sleep, but she isn’t ready yet. She wants to stay in this comforting state a little longer.

Her lips still feel slightly tingly. Though it had been hours at this point, their shared kiss was ever present on Catra’s mind. It feels surreal; good things don’t happen to her. On the rare occasion that they do, they’re usually taken away after a short period of time. Thinking of that makes something unpleasant stir in her stomach, and once she’s on that path, it is hard for her to pull herself off of it. A quiet sigh escapes her. Slowly, and carefully to not wake the other woman, she takes a tendril of blonde locks in her hand and feels its softness against the pads of her fingertips. Catra thinks that she should just let herself be happy. Let this one good thing happen to her, no matter how long it lasts. Even though she never wants to leave this woman’s side.

Soon enough, Catra’s eyes become impossible to hold open. Adora’s sleeping figure is the last thing she sees before sleep takes her again. And boy, does it last a while. When her eyes finally open once more, the space next to her is empty. Her hand comes up to stroke the bedsheets. Catra lets herself whine softly before pushing herself up against the mattress. The faint glow illuminating the paper white walls tells Catra that she slept through the afternoon. She really has to stop doing that, it’s messing with her sleep schedule. Grumbling to herself, she steps over the bed and onto the floor before walking out.

A pleasant smell is in the air. Catra makes her way to the kitchen, and surely enough, Adora is standing over the stove, her quiet humming overpowered by the sound of something frying in the pan she’s working at. Catra doesn’t wait a second more to walk over to her- she needs contact, now. Her arms snake around Adora’s waist, and she presses her front against the other woman’s back as she buries her nose in the crook of her neck.

Adora gasps softly, but it isn’t enough for Catra to notice. This girl sure is quiet. It’s a pleasant surprise, nonetheless. “Morning babe,” she mutters happily.

“Using pet names, are we? This early in the relationship?” Catra prods, slightly muffled as her face is half buried in Adora’s shoulder.

Adora snorts. “Says the one who called me ‘Princess’ before we started dating.”

“That’s a nickname, not a pet name. And besides, we aren’t ‘dating,’ we haven’t even been on a date yet,” Catra objects, though her stomach flutters at the light banter. It all feels like a very sweet dream.

“That may be true, but it isn’t like I haven’t asked you on one. Besides, what else would you call it?”

Catra shrugs slightly, but doesn’t let go of Adora’s waist. “I guess you got me there. That smells good, what is it?”

“Stir fry,” Adora replies, continuing to move around the beef and vegetables around the pan with her spatula. “It’s almost ready, we’ll be able to eat soon.”

“Thank God, because I am _starving_ ,” Catra comments, putting a little more of her weight on the blonde. “That’s just one of the many sucky things about turning into that thing. I always get so fucking hungry.”

The spatula is set down on the counter before Adora twists in Catra’s grasp to face her. She puts her hands on the smaller woman’s shoulders, before smiling softly. “I take it we won’t have to worry about leftovers, then?” she jokes, one hand sneaking up to the side of Catra’s neck, making her shiver.

Catra chuckles. “Guess not,” she replies, before standing up on her tippy toes to capture Adora’s lips with her own. Catra doesn’t think she’ll ever get over how damn _soft_ they are. It’s like melting into a warm, fluffy blanket after a long day; comforting, relaxing, and safe. She can’t get enough of it. This one’s slow, but earnest as they gently push against each other. Until now, Catra never knew how much variety this stuff had, depending on the situation and mood. It all used to be sappy shit to her, but she’s definitely in the light now.

Eventually, Catra pulls away. “Can’t have you burning our dinner,” she teases, and Adora rolls her eyes.

“Whatever, I’m not that bad of a cook. Get us some plates, will you?” Adora requests as she turns back to the stove to turn off the heat.

Catra huffs playfully, but obeys. She goes to the cabinet to get two, and returns to Adora. They take their usual spot on the couch before eating. Adora was right, she really isn’t a bad cook, when she makes stuff that Catra actually enjoys eating. This dinner was no exception, she had to go back for another helping, even when Adora gave her side eyes whenever she picked around at the vegetables. Catra couldn’t help it, she was mostly raised on a carnivorous diet.

After they were both finished eating, Catra snuck up next to Adora’s side of the couch to lean on her. This is one of her favorite perks; getting to touch Adora without putting too much thought into it. And of course, Adora accepts her, and she wraps an arm around Catra to keep her close. Catra never thought she’d enjoy a domestic life like this, never even thought it was a possibility for her, but she is so glad to be wrong.

And so, the days go by, and sweet words and gestures are exchanged. Catra will look for just about any excuse to kiss Adora, or even be near her. Every time Adora teased her about it, she was swiftly told to “get over herself.” She would simply laugh and give Catra some form of affection in response. The weekend passed, and soon enough the day of their kind-of-date was upon them.

Adora gets home from work in the early evening, as usual. She only really had to come home to pick Catra up. “You almost ready, Catra?” Adora asks as she walks into their bedroom. Unsurprisingly, Catra is curled up on the bed, napping. Adora smiles to herself before walking up to the edge of the bed, before sitting on it and gently nudging Catra awake. “Hey sleepyhead, it’s about time to go.”

A soft grumble sounds from under the pillow as Catra stirs awake and sits up. “Where we goin?” she mutters sleepily as she runs her fingers through her messy mane.

“Did you seriously forget what day it is?” Adora teases with a light laugh.

Catra’s eyes narrow slightly, trying to register what Adora was talking about through her sleepy haze. Her eyes widen as she remembers. “Ooooh, right. Let me get dressed,” she mutters as she gets out of bed and to her duffel bag on the floor. Adora stands up to give her some privacy, before Catra just shucks off her tank top in front of her. Color comes to Adora’s face as she turns the other way.

“If we’re going to see people tonight, can I borrow that hat again?” Catra asks as she slips on a t-shirt.

“Of course, It’s in that drawer,” Adora replies as she awkwardly points to the dresser behind her without turning around.

The brunette turns to look at where Adora is pointing, before a sly smile creeps on her face. This was amusing; she is definitely going to put ‘making Adora flustered’ on her list of hobbies. She walks over to the top drawer, before opening it. Surely enough, the same cap from last time sits inside. She takes it and pulls it over her head, not bothering to put her hair in a ponytail this time. It simply falls over her back. Catra thinks she likes it better this way, since the hair tie tugged on her scalp uncomfortably.

“We all set?” Catra then asks, stepping in front of Adora. The blonde nods and smiles awkwardly, her cheeks still tinted. “Lead the way then,” Catra continues, her playful smirk returning to her face. This is going to be a fun night.

…

The white pickup truck pulls up in the lot of a small, local park. People are still getting ready, some are setting up a fairly small stage on the far side of the park, while some people are setting up something that looks like a fire pit in the center of the clearing. “Guess we’re here a little early,” Adora thinks out loud, turning to Catra. “You wanna walk around?”

Catra shrugs. “Sure, whatever. Anything’s better than staying in this stuffy truck,” she complains as she pulls on the door handle and steps out of the vehicle.

“Seahawk, I swear to God, if you even _try_ to touch that lighter again, I will spray you down with the hose!” A loud voice threatens from a few feet away. Adora turns to it, and surely enough, Mermista is sitting on a park bench, looking up from her phone with disdain.

A small voice echoes across the clearing. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Dearest!” Seahawk shouts from the other side of the park, shuffling away from another park bench and back to helping the other people set up the stage.

Mermista turns her head back, and she sees the pair of women. “Uuugh, I knew letting Seahawk start the bonfire was going to be a bad idea. I just know I’m soooo going to regret it by the end of the night,” she complains, slumping over the table and putting her chin over her crossed arms.

“Wow, you actually got permission to start a bonfire in a public park?” Adora questions, stepping towards the picnic table with Catra close behind.

“Yep,” Mermista replies, popping the p. “My dad’s chief of the fire department, so I guess that’s a plus. I was able to pull some strings to let Captain Disaster over there get his birthday present.”

“What, is he some kind of pyro?” Catra asks suddenly, and gets a hard glance from Adora.

But Mermista only snickers. “That’s one word for him. But this is really what he wanted, so I guess I have to be a ‘good girlfriend’ and suck it up or whatever,” she responds, before sitting up and looking right at Catra. She squints her eyes. “There’s something about you that’s familiar. Do I know you?” she asks bluntly.

“Oh, right!” Adora interjects, stepping up. “Mermista, meet Catra. She’s an old friend of mine,” Adora explains, placing a hand on Catra’s shoulder.

“Catra, huh?” Mermista says, staring her right in the face. “You couldn’t have a more ironic name if you tried, with those eyes of yours.”

Catra snorts, looking the other woman up and down- ocean blue hair, a dolphin t-shirt, and wave tattoos on her arms. Woman looks like she came straight out of _The Little Mermaid_. “Look who’s talking, Ariel," Catra jabs with a smirk.

Mermista rolls her eyes. “I walked right into that one,” she says, smiling a little. It fades quickly as her eyes return to their squinted state. “I just know I’ve heard about you before. I just can’t put my finger on it,” she continues. “It’ll come to me. Anyway, you’re cool, I guess. Welcome to the party.”

“Adora!” A voice sounds from behind them. The two women turn around, to a very exasperated Glimmer walking up to them. “You two, come with me,” she demands, taking both of them by the wrists and dragging them off.

Catra hisses. “Hey! What’s your deal, Sparkles?”

They’re pulled behind a car. “Adora, did you really think it was a good idea to bring Catra here? Let’s not forget that she’s literally wanted by the police! Someone is bound to notice that,” Glimmer scolds, much to Catra’s annoyance.

“Good to see you too, Miss Killjoy,” Catra jabs as she crosses her arms.

A light glare is shot Catra’s way by Glimmer, before Adora steps between them. “Please don’t be mad at her, Glimmer. I wanted to take her here, to meet everyone. She doesn’t deserve to just sit in my house forever,” she explains. “Tonight’s really important to me, it’s…” she pauses to look at Catra. “It’s kind of a big deal for both of us.”

Glimmer looks between them, before realization flashes across her face. “Oooh, okay,” she says, before opening up the passenger’s side of her car and reaching for something in the glovebox. “I didn’t mean to be a killjoy, I promise. I’m just _understandably_ worried. I can tell that you mean a lot to Adora, and I don’t want anything to happen to you,” she starts before offering Catra a pair of sunglasses. “So put these on. People won’t get suspicious if they can’t see your eyes.”

The gesture takes Catra back slightly. She hesitantly takes the glasses, before looking up at Glimmer. “…Thanks, Sparkles,” she says before slipping the sunglasses on. It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust, but once they do, she thinks the darkness is nice- easier on her eyes.

“No problem. Just don’t get in trouble,” Glimmer says with a smile. “I’m happy for you two. I better help Bow set up, see you guys around,” continues before she walks out from behind the car.

Adora turns to Catra and chuckles. “You look _rad,”_ she jokes before taking Catra’s hand.

Catra scoffs and rolls her eyes behind thick shades. “Whatever. I just hope nobody calls me a douchebag when I wear these after dark.”

Suddenly, a sound of a microphone registering fills the air, along with the sounds of tuning instruments. “Looks like they’re almost done. Let’s go back out,” Adora suggests before leading Catra out from behind the car and into the clearing, their fingers still interlocked.

As it turns out, Adora’s friends aren’t that bad. Most of them are funny, even- Catra didn’t know she could laugh that much in a short amount of time.

“I’m never letting you pick out party supplies again,” Glimmer says to Bow, who gasps in shock.

“Are you seriously judging my piñata choices, Glimmer? It’s a puppy! Everybody likes puppies!” Bow protests, clutching the large paper German Shepherd in his arms.

Glimmer scoffs. “Yeah, a dog from Paw Patrol. Really? Seahawk isn’t turning five, Bow!”

“Hey, it was either him or the Fortnite llama. I refuse to spend my money that!”

“You didn’t have to get either of them! We just needed paper plates and cups!”

“Friends, friends!” Seahawk interrupts, placing his hands on both Bow and Glimmer’s shoulders. “I greatly appreciate both of your efforts to make this day special! But I assure you, no matter what accessories we have, this night is going to be glorious!” the eccentric man reassures, standing tall and proud.

“Ugh, don’t be embarrassing, Seahawk,” Mermista retorts, leaning further against the park bench with a deadpan expression. “Anyway, where’s Perfuma? She’s usually the first one to show up to this kind of stuff.”

Glimmer perks her head up. “Oh, she texted me saying that she was going to pick up her girlfriend who lives out of town. I guess she underestimated how long it’d take,” she explains as she wriggles out of Seahawks grasp.

Just as Glimmer gets done explaining, a car pulls up in the nearby lot. “Speak of the devil,” Mermista murmurs as she turns her head to look to the lot. Catra follows suit, looking over to observe the vehicle.

A tall woman with sandy blonde hair steps out of the driver’s side. And from the passenger side, out comes a very familiar tall, muscular lady. Catra’s jaw nearly drops to the floor. _It can’t be. There’s no way._

“Here we are! I’m so excited for you to meet everyone, I know they will just love you!” Perfuma exclaims, linking their arms together with a big, excited grin.

The buff lady’s face lights up with equal enthusiasm. “Gosh, I hope so! I love meeting new people, it’s like, my favorite thing ever!”

_Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This can’t be happening,_ Catra thinks as her heart plummets. She didn’t sign up to be forced to face the person she hurt the most. Her body starts moving on it’s own, and she gets up and out from under Adora’s arm to power walk away.

“Catra? Where are you going?” Adora asks, but Catra doesn’t answer, doesn’t even turn around

“What’s her deal?” Mermista asks blandly.

Adora sighs. “I don’t know, but I gotta go check on her. I’ll be back,” she announces before standing up and following after her.

Catra hides behind an especially large truck in the parking lot, sitting down and hugging her knees. She feels a little bad about suddenly leaving Adora like that, but she just can’t bring herself to face Scorpia. Not after everything Catra has done to hurt her.

“Catra!” she hears Adora’s voice call her. Ugh, Scorpia is going to hear her if she keeps yelling like that. Adora appears from behind the truck. “There you are, Catra!” she says before walking up to her and kneeling down onto the gravel next to her. “is it too much? We can go home if you aren’t having fun,” Adora offers.

“No, it’s not that,” Catra deflects, ducking her face in her knees. “I was having fun. But that lady your friend came with,” she starts, “She’s an old friend of mine. Someone that I… ran away from. Without an explanation. So I can’t let her see me, or she’ll just get upset. She hates me.”

Adora's face softens sympathetically. "I don't know about all that, but... do you wanna tell me what happened between you two?” she asks.

The brunette sighs. “Okay, but I have to tell you that this happened like, over a year ago, so please don’t judge me for how I acted.”

“You know I wouldn’t do that, Catra,” Adora replies, scooting closer and putting her arm around her, pulling her close. She’s awarded with a light purr. “I just want to be there for you.”

Catra looks down in thought. “Okay.”

…

“Catra?” a concerned voice calls from outside the bedroom. “You okay, buddy? Can I come in?”

Catra is in the corner, facing away from the door and curled up. _This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have ever come here,_ she scolds herself. “Doubt I can stop you,” she replies flatly. Apparently that’s all Scorpia needs to hear before the door opens.

“Hey there, Wildcat,” Scorpia greets as she carefully nears the curled-up girl. “Is your mom still blowing up your phone?”

A hiss escapes her throat. “Yes, she’s still blowing it up! I can’t even open it without being bombarded by text messages, all saying how worthless I am for leaving,” she spits bitterly into the corner of the room. She hates it. She hates everything- Shadow Weaver, herself, everything. Catra wishes that Scorpia would just leave her alone to sulk.

“Hey, listen to me. Don’t listen to what she says, okay? She obviously doesn’t know what’s best for you, if she throws a baby temper tantrum just because you left her house. You’re an adult, you should make your own decisions,” Scorpia explains, daring to inch closer and kneel down next to her.

Catra bristles up, feeling trapped; she hates feeling trapped. But she doesn’t want to tell Scorpia that, or else she’ll start getting suspicious.

“We’ll get you a new phone, alright? So you don’t have to listen to Miss Throwafit anymore,” Scorpia offers, smiling and putting a hand carefully on Catra’s shoulder. “Ooo, I know what’ll cheer you up! It’s taco night!”

Catra sighs. “I’m not really that hungry, Scorpia. I think I’ll give it a miss.”

Scorpia gasps. “But Catra, you love tacos! And these ones are going to be especially delicious, I got all the good seasonings and everything! Y’know, the real good stuff from the farmers market!”

Though she’d be caught dead admitting it, Scorpia’s cooking is something out of this realm entirely. Whatever she managed to whip up was leagues better than anything Catra had eaten while staying with Shadow Weaver. Catra turns to look at Scorpia from behind her still raised hood. “If I eat one taco, will you leave me alone for the night?”

“Oh, yeah, of course! I’ll be sure to give you as much space as you need! But you gotta get something in your tums first,” Scorpia confirms as she stands up, offering a hand to Catra.

It doesn’t make her feel better. She’s still angry, scared, and she just wants to be alone. But this woman is giving her shelter, a way out from Shadow Bitch. Catra feels like she has to at least try to make Scorpia happy, so she takes it. Scorpia pulls her up with her fucking _herculean_ strength, and pulls her in for a bear hug.

“Ugh, Scorpia! Let me go right now or I’m not eating!” Catra hisses, pushing against the other woman.

“Oh, shoot! Sorry, sorry, it’s a force of habit! My bad, won’t happen again, I promise!” Scorpia rambles, quickly pulling away and waving her hands defensively. When she opens her eyes again, she gasps when she sees Catra.

Catra glares at her. “What?” she questions sharply. When Scorpia only looks at her dumbly, she feels her patience start to draw thin. Her ears flatten in annoyance- then she notices it. She doesn’t feel them rub against the fabric of her hood. Her hands fly up to the sides of her head, and surely enough, she feels her ears, exposed. _My hood came down because of that stupid fucking hug!_

Dark feelings started swirling in Catra’s stomach. Mostly, she felt disgust at herself, and a boiling rage. “You… you saw me,” Catra growls, her teeth clenching.

“O-oh I am so, so sorry, I didn’t mean to pull it down!” Scorpia tries to defend herself.

But it's too late. Catra starts seeing red. “When I agreed to come live with you,” she begins, “I had ONE fucking request!” She takes a step forward and points a finger at Scorpia angrily while backing her up into the other side of the wall. “Do not. Touch. My. Fucking. Hood! One _simple_ request, and you fucked it up! Now you’re able to see clear as goddamn day, you invited a FREAK into your house!” Catra shouts, hot tears burning in her eyes as all of the pent-up anger she feels starts seeping out.

Scorpia doesn’t reply. Her eyes just widen as she backs up, her mouth opening to say something, _anything_ , but nothing comes out.

The brunette wipes her eyes with her sleeve, before feeling her body slump with defeat. “Whatever. I knew following you was a mistake.” With that, she grabs her duffel bag and hurries out of the bedroom.

“Catra! Catra, wait! Please don’t go!” Scorpia calls out after her, but Catra doesn’t stop. She’s already opening the front door. She gives it a slam, before running into the dark city.

…

Catra stops to sniffle. She doesn’t know when she started crying. “She gave me a place to stay. I didn’t even say thank you,” Catra mutters, feeling especially miserable. “If there’s anyone in the world who doesn’t deserve that, it’s Scorpia. She was so nice to me, and… and I just blew up at her before leaving without saying goodbye.”

Adora nods understandingly, before gently squeezing Catra closer to her. “If you feel bad about it, maybe you should just apologize? From what you told me, she doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge at all. I bet she’d forgive you,” Adora suggests in a quiet, caring voice.

“I don’t know about that, Adora. I was so messed up. Nobody would forgive me,” Catra argues sadly, pulling up her sunglasses to wipe away the tears from her face.

“Hey,” Adora starts, “I’d forgive you.”

Catra laughs dryly. “You’re just saying that because I’m your girlfriend.”

She feels Adora nudge her playfully. “C’mon, that’s not the only reason. It doesn’t even seem like what you did was that awful. You were just scared. I’m sure Scorpia realizes that,” Adora reassures, moving to sit in front of Catra. “I’m not making you do anything you aren’t comfortable with, but I really think it’ll make you feel better. And if you do decide to go through with it, I’ll be with you for the entire time.”

That makes Catra look to the ground in thought. She couldn’t help but fall a little more in love with the blonde- even when she told her about her ugly past, all Adora wants to do is to help her. Back in the clearing, the band begins to play. They’re starting out with a slow song, by the sound of it. _It better not be emotional, or I’m gonna be sobbing at a damn birthday party,_ Catra thinks grumpily. “Okay. I’ll try. But I need to steady my nerves first, I don’t want to go up to her looking like an emotional wreck.”

Adora smiles sweetly. “Of course.” She stands up and holds out her hand to Catra. “Maybe a little dance will calm you down?”

Catra snorts. “Since when do you dance?”

“Hey, anyone can dance! It’s just movin’ your body!” Adora objects with a laugh.

Catra laughs with her. “You dork. Just don’t step on my toes, or I’ll kick your ass,” she teases before taking Adora’s hand and getting pulled up by her. Once up, she immediately rests the other hand on Adora’ shoulder. Adora’s other hand goes to her waist. The touch burns her skin through the fabric of her t-shirt, but it’s in a good way.

The song really starts to kick in, and Adora leads them. It’s a little clunky, but not a disaster. It’s fun to Catra, watching Adora blush after a misstep. She rubs her thumb against the crook of Adora’s shoulder soothingly, as if to reassure her. Adora flashes her an awkward grin, and Catra can’t hold back a soft smile in return. Being in Adora’s arms like this to some… _decent_ music was more enjoyable than Catra would’ve ever guessed. The band playing seems like an indie group, and the current song they’re dancing to sounds like some 80’s cover. And Adora was right- with each step, each spin, she feels herself become a little more relaxed in the blonde’s grasp.

After a while, Catra could tell that the song is coming to an end. Adora gives her one last spin, and it’s a little more playful than the previous ones. Catra swings out, and an exhilarated smile crosses her face. _Two can play at that game._ When she’s pulled back by Adora, Catra gets up really close, before sneaking both hands behind her back and suddenly dipping her. Adora lets out a surprised squeak as she’s let down, and quickly slips a thigh between Catra’s legs for extra support. She stares up into smug, mismatched eyes, before laughing breathily. “Real bold, Catra.” Catra returns the laugh before pulling her up again.

“Sooo, how was it?” Adora asks, an excited grin glued to her face.

Catra’s hand slides up from her shoulder to hold the side of her face. “That was _incredibly_ geeky,” Catra starts, before pulling Adora in for a quick, sweet kiss. “…but it was enjoyable. I’d like to do it again sometime, Princess,” Catra admits as she softly headbutts the blonde.

“That’s good to hear. Are you feeling any better?” Adora asks, relaxing into the touch.

“I… I think so. Guess it’s now or never,” Catra responds, pulling away and taking Adora’s hand; can’t have her going anywhere.

Adora smiles and rubs her thumb against Catra's. “I’ll be with you the whole way.”

And so, the two of them walk back into the clearing. Scorpia isn’t hard to find at all, she was surrounded by the rest of the group, talking and laughing with them. Catra takes a deep breath before walking up to the crowd of people. She turns back to Adora, who gives her a thumbs up. Catra gives her a weak smile, before letting go of Adora’s hand and stepping up to Scorpia.

Scorpia turns to Catra and gives her a big, cheery grin, not seeming to recognize her. “Hey there! I don’t think we’ve met yet, I’m Scorpia,” she introduces herself, holding out her hand.

Catra swallows thickly. “Actually, Scorpia,” she starts as she takes off her glasses, revealing her mismatched eyes, “we have met.”

Scorpia’s eyes widen.

“And I just want to tell you, before you get mad at me, that I am so, so sorry for how I acted. I was scared, and I didn’t think you would ever accept me, but that’s no excuse for how I treated you. I understand if you don’t forgive me, but… I just thought I should apologize,” she continues, her face falling, unable to make eye contact.

“Oh my gosh, Catra… is that really you?” Scorpia gasps in disbelief. “Oh, wow, I thought I’d never see you again! Man, am I glad you’re okay!”

Catra’s jaw drops in shock. “Wait a second, aren’t you angry with me? I hurt you! I ran away without even telling you why!” Catra protests as her voice cracks with emotion.

Scorpia just shakes her head. “I wasn’t mad at you, Catra. I was just worried about you. You must’ve been really scared, and that’s my bad. Even if it was an accident, I kinda breached your privacy there,” she admits before rubbing the back of her head. “And just so you know, it doesn’t matter to me what kinda stuff you got under the hood. You’re still my friend, Wildcat. You always have been.”

It just doesn’t make sense to Catra, why Scorpia had accepted her back so easily. Regardless, Catra feels a little bad for doubting her. She smiles as tears gather in her eyes. She is going to have such a bad headache by the end of the night from crying.

“Oh! Before I forget! Catra, meet Perfuma!” Scorpia announces, and Perfuma turns around and waves. “Gosh, she has been so great! She’s training to be a therapist, so she’s like, crazy good with people. I even talked to her about some of my stuff, and man, is she good to talk to!” Scorpia praises.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Catra. Scorpia has told me a lot about you!” Perfuma explains, stepping up to the brunette.

Catra smiles timidly. “Y-yeah, I bet. We go way back,” she stutters awkwardly, hugging herself.

“Anyway, what brings you to this small town, Catra?” Scorpia asks, curious.

Catra turns to Adora. “Well, I finally got away from… my ‘mom,’” she starts before taking Adora’s hand. “Then I came here and met Adora. She’s letting me stay at her place,” she pauses, and the two of them exchange loving looks. “And I guess we’re kinda… seeing each other? Is that what they call it? This was supposed to be a date, or whatever,” Catra confesses, blushing and looking away at the end.

A collective gasp sounds through the group they’re in. Adora and Catra’s faces turn scarlet. “Shit. I didn’t think everyone would hear that,” Catra curses to herself. She slips the sunglasses back on to hide the embarrassment.

“Oh. My. _Gosh_ ,” Scorpia squeaks, putting her hands over her mouth. “Catra, I am soooo happy for you!”

“Just so everyone knows, I so called it,” Mermista pipes up.

“Why didn’t you tell us, Adora?! We’re you’re friends! We should’ve been like… the first to know!” Bow complains, stepping up to the couple.

Glimmer gets a smug smirk on her face. “Well, Adora told _me_. Pretty sure _I_ was the first to know.”

Bow gives Adora a look of utter betrayal.

“Don’t give me that look, Bow! I didn’t have the chance to tell you, the moment wasn’t right! And don’t get so smug, Glimmer, we only told you like, what, an hour ago?” Adora deflects as she puts her unoccupied hand on her hip.

“Hey, you’re the one who decided it’d be classy to have a first date at someone else’s birthday party,” Glimmer retorts.

Adora rolls her eyes. “It wasn’t even supposed to be a public thing, not like we were taking the spotlight from the birthday guy.”

“You are correct!” Seahawk declares, appearing out of nowhere to stand on top of a picnic table. “I say let everybody celebrate my festivities how they wish! As long as it’s as adventurous and as spontaneous as yours truly!”

Mermista groans. “Honestly, why do I even take you places?” she questions as she crosses her arms.

“Because I am exceedingly charming, of course. Anyway, I do believe it is time for a certain something?” Seahawk asks, waggling his eyebrows at his girlfriend.

“Fiiine. Go get the stuff. And don’t you dare light anything on fire before you get here, or I’m breaking up with you,” Mermista threatens.

Seahawks face lights up with glee. “Let there be light!” he exclaims, before jumping off of the picnic table and running off.

“Damn. Your friends are definitely interesting,” Catra mutters to Adora, and she giggles.

“Yeah, but you’ll get used to it. I think you’ll fit in just fine,” Adora replies as she puts an arm around Catra.

“Aww,” Bow interjects, “You guys are so adorable! I’ve totally been rooting for you since, like, day 1!”

Glimmer scoffs. “I told him that shipping real people is cringe, but he didn’t listen to me, per usual.”

“Wow, were we that obvious?” Adora asks, blushing slightly.

“Adora, you practically shielded her from me like you were taking a bullet for her. You weren’t exactly subtle,” Glimmer responds in an amused tone.

Catra snickers. “To be fair, there was… _somebody_ looking for me in that store. I’d probably do the same for her, if the roles were switched,” she confesses.

Adora grins widely. “Aww, you would?” she asks softly.

Catra rolls her eyes. “I knew you’d get weird when I said that,” she jabs, but her loving smile doesn’t fade.

“Behold, friends!” Seahawk suddenly says, reclaiming his place on the table with a lit torch in his hand. “I would like to dedicate this lighting to the loveliest Mermista, who was able to make this day possible! My love for you is undying, _endless_ , my life would not be the same without-“

“Uuugh, whatever, just light the stupid fire already,” Mermista interrupts, her face reddening.

“Only for you, Dearest!” Seahawk exclaims, and attempts to throw the torch into the fire pit. Somewhere along the way, however, he loses his balance as he’s tossing it. The torch flies out of his hand and straight onto the piñata. The paper dog immediately bursts into flames.

“Seriosuly, Seahawk?!” Mermista shouts before getting up and running off to get the hose.

Bow lets out a horrified gasp. “Chase! Nooooo!” he calls out as the little police uniform burns up and drifts away, reduced to ash in the wind.

Everyone else backs up with concerned faces. Meanwhile, Catra and Glimmer get a kick out of it. They try to hold back their laughter for a few seconds, but they ultimately fail. Catra is the first to burst out laughing, and Glimmer follows suit shortly after.

“Oh, I bet you think this is _real_ funny, don’t you Glimmer?” Bow accuses, kneeling in front of the burning dog.

“Hey, I’m not the only one who’s laughing!” Glimmer deflects between cackles.

Soon enough, Mermista returns with the hose. “Stand back, everyone!” she announces before squeezing the trigger on the nozzle. Water bursts out, completely soaking the fire and putting it out. Bow manages to jump out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting drenched.

“Okay,” Mermista starts after turning off the hose, turning to Seahawk and glaring at him. “Do you want to try that again? This time, a little more _carefully?_ ”

Seahawk smiles nervously and nods. “Y-yes, Dearest,” he agrees. This time, he lights the bonfire properly, and people cheer.

Bow is still kneeling next to the charred remains of the piñata. “Rest easy, little guy. May you play in piñata puppy heaven,” Bow cries dramatically.

Glimmer rolls her eyes. “Honestly, Bow, he was going to get broken open anyway. Just be glad we didn’t put any candy in there.”

With that, Bow sighs. “I guess your right. All good things must come to an end,” he states, before standing up and taking back his previous spot next to Glimmer.

“You’re such a drama queen,” Glimmer teases, nudging Bow with her elbow.

The night goes on, and the group of friends continue to share stories, jokes, and banter. The sun soon sets over the horizon. The band eventually stops playing and starts to pack up the stage. After a while, the fire starts to slow down, blazing a comfortable warmth.

“Guess it’s getting late. We should help the band pack up. You guys feel free to stay at the fire for a little while longer, but we gotta put it out before we leave. Dad’s orders,” she explains before dragging Seahawk away by the arm, much to his disappointment.

Adora turns to Catra, who’s snuggled up next to her. “You about ready to head out?” she asks quietly. Catra hums, before nodding. Adora helps her to her feet.

“Are you guys calling it a night?” Scorpia asks from the other side of the fire.

Catra turns to her and nods. “But, hey… before I go, I, uh… I still have your phone number. So I’ll keep in touch?”

Scorpia grins widely. “That’s great to hear, Catra! I’ll be looking out for you,” she replies.

“Mkay. ‘Night, guys,” she says, and her and Adora say their goodbyes before leaving the park. Through the whole ordeal, Adora had been unable to keep her eyes off of Catra. She a warm feeling in her chest. The car ride feels like it lasts forever.

Once they’re back at the house, Catra immediately shucks the hat off. “I can fucking breathe again,” she states as she shakes out her ears. “Fuck, they’re so sore. I’m never wearing a hat for that long again.”

“Yeah, hopefully you won’t have to. I’ll look for something more comfortable for you to wear in public, how does that sound?” Adora asks, stepping closer to Catra.

“Sounds fuckin _heavenly_ ,” she remarks as she rubs the bases of her ears, trying to soothe the dull ache.

Adora bites her lip. “I know you’re sore, and you’re probably tired, but… are you still down for movie night?” she asks.

Catra laughs breathily. “Duh. I’ve been looking forward to the movie all day,” she replies, walking over to the couch and sitting down on her side.

Adora grins eagerly. “I’ll make the popcorn!” she announces, going over to the kitchen. After making two bags for them, she steps over to the other side of the couch before plopping down. She hands a bag to Catra. “So, what’re you in the mood for?” she asks, pulling up Netflix.

“Hmm, something funny,” Catra suggests, pulling her bag open, causing steam to rise from it.

“Alright, comedy it is,” Adora declares, scrolling through the movie selection. She eventually finds an older movie that they’re both interested in, and she puts it on.

And the movie is pretty funny, in a cheesy, stupid way. It gets a few laughs out of both of them. Somewhere along the line, they had scooted closer together, and now they were currently snuggling in the middle of the couch. Eventually, Adora starts losing focus on the movie. Her glance shifts down to Catra, who’s still observing the screen and chewing on the last bits of her popcorn. Once she’s finished with it, she turns her head slightly, and her eyes meet Adora’s.

Catra smirks as she looks up at the blonde, her eyes half lidded. “Hey, Adora,” she says, her voice soft and raspy.

Something catches in Adora’s throat. Even though she feels herself get flustered, she doesn’t back down. “I was really proud of you today,” she admits quietly, and Catra’s own face heats up.

“Really? Why?” Catra asks.

Adora’s hand comes up to gently stroke a loose strand of Catra’s hair on the side of her face. “You got along with everybody, and you made up with Scorpia. I’m so happy that you’re making friends, Catra,” she continues, staring deep into Catra’s multicolored eyes.

“Really setting the bar high, aren’t I?” Catra snickers.

“I mean it, Catra,” Adora breathes, leaning in to get closer. “You’re amazing. And I love you.”

Catra’s eyes widen, before she slowly wraps her arms around Adora’s neck, letting her arms rest on the blonde’s shoulders. “I love you, too,” she replies, before a sultry glint appears in her eyes. “But… maybe you could convince me?”

It doesn’t take long for Adora to fulfil her request. The movie turns into mere background noise as their lips are on each other’s. An electrifying feel courses through the both of them. Adora’s hands start to wander, and they slide up Catra’s sides, causing her to moan softly into Adora’s mouth. A thought suddenly comes to Adora, and she pulls away, only to rest their foreheads together. “Is this okay?” she asks.

“It wouldn’t be okay if you s _topped,_ ” Catra growls, and Adora laughs, taking the hint. She dives back in, slotting their lips together, and the exhilarating feeling returns. Catra knows that she’s dangerously close to the same fire she felt on the day of their first kiss. But she doesn’t care anymore. She wants the fire to consume her completely, not caring if she gets burned because of it. Her hands come up to tug at Adora’s ponytail, and the hair tie comes loose, letting golden hair fall free. They only occasionally pull away for air. Adora’s hands soon find Catra’s ears, and she gives them an experimental rub. Catra practically turns into putty in Adora’s hands as she sighs and purrs. This is pure bliss.

They’re interrupted by the sound of someone pounding at the door. Adora pulls away, and Catra whines at the loss. “Just ignore it,” she pleads.

Adora’s eyes soften. “It must be important if it’s this late at night. I’ll be right back for you, I promise,” she says, before giving Catra one last short kiss. She then gets up off the couch before going to the front door. When she opens it, she feels her heart sink all the way down to the floor.

A man in a police uniform stands at the door, a hardened expression on his face. “Good evening, Ma’am. We’ve received an anonymous tip that you’re housing a wanted woman. Thus, I need to search your residence. Please step aside.”

“Woah, hold on a second,” Adora objects as she places her hand on the doorframe, preventing the cop from entering. “I think I’m going to need to see a warrant before I let you come into my home.”

The cop’s eyes narrow. “Please step aside, ma’am. Or I will have to use physical force.”

“With all due respect, sir, I know my rights. You can’t come in here without a warrant, period,” Adora retorts, standing her ground.

The cop then snarls, before grabbing Adora by the shoulders and turning her around forcibly. “H-hey, what do you think you’re doing?!”

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law,” he starts as he gets out his handcuffs. But he doesn’t go any further than that.

“Hey!” Catra shouts, now visible from the doorway. “Get your filthy fucking hands off of her, you mutt bastard!”

“ _You,_ ” the cop growls, before throwing Adora to the side. He then draws his pistol and points it straight at Catra.

“Catra!” Adora shouts in desperation.

Catra grits her teeth, before putting her hands up. “What the hell do you want from me?”

“You are trespassing on our territory, _cat_. You have spat on the glorious name of The Horde. We have received orders to hunt you down and take you out,” the cop explains, flexing his finger over the trigger.

She's had enough. Fur erupts from Catra’s skin as she suddenly shifts. She lunges for it- and a shot then echoes through the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry :')  
> Anyway, sorry for the late update, some things have been going on in the real life world, so unfortunately updates may be a little spread out from this point on. I'll try to get em out as soon as possible, but I really want to make sure they're good and not rushed! The chapters that follow are definitely gonna need it. Thanks in advance for your patience! <3  
> Also, this chapter was sooo much longer than I planned it out to be, so I only reread it like... once. So my bad if there's errors lmao. It wasn't originally my plan to make the werewolves cops, but like... it just fits so well


	12. Narc

Catra unleashes a deafening roar; the bullet pierces her right shoulder, and it lodges itself into fur and flesh.

“Catra! NO!” Adora screams.

Despite being shot, Catra keeps moving towards the cop with superhuman speed. She grabs the wrist holding the gun and gives it a sharp twist. It snaps harshly under her grasp, causing the cop to yelp. Quickly, she takes hold of the pistol and rips it out of his hands. It is then tossed away, hitting the concrete with a skidding sound. His limbs start to twist, but Catra is prepared. She swiftly swings her other clawed hand up to grip his throat and squeeze as tightly as she can, preventing him from shifting further. Her claws dig into the cop’s neck, drawing blood.

The police officer whines as his hands come up to hold onto Catra’s wrist, doing everything he can to get her to loosen her death grip. But Catra is steadfast. “ _Not so tough now, huh? Without your shiny toy_ ,” she spits in the man’s face.

“M… erc..y… ple..ase…” the man chokes out as he starts to go purple in the face.

“ _Why the fuck should I do that? I bet you haven’t showed a single damn thing mercy in your entire pathetic life_!” Catra snarls, now lifting the man’s body off of the floor. Rage clouds her vision, and she isn’t even aware of the piece of metal stuck in her shoulder.

Adora looks up at the scene in front of her. At this point, she doesn’t care about the cop, all she cares about is Catra’s well being. “Catra, please, your shoulder… we have to take care of it,” she pleads, her voice breaking with emotion.

Catra then looks down at her. Their eyes meet, and Catra is swallowed by vulnerable, ocean blue eyes. Her hold on the cop’s neck starts to loosen slightly, and he takes in a gasp of air. Suddenly, the bullet wound starts to hurt. Like, _really_ hurt. Catra clenches her teeth with a hiss. The cop is shoved back by Catra, before she swings her left hand, claws and all, to strike him in the face. The man cries out and slumps down to his knees.

“ _I’m giving you ten seconds to run. After that, you’re dead meat_.”

He looks up at Catra, clutching the bloodied left side of his face with his good hand, before turning and sprinting away. His pitiful figure disappears into the night. Catra then falls to her knees, her claws scraping the concrete in pain. “ _Shit… I was shifted. How was it able to pierce my skin?_ ” Catra grunts as she holds the wound. Just touching it sends waves of searing pain to it, and she cries out at the contact.

Adora gets up and runs to her. “Here, let me see,” she soothes.

“ _Don’t touch it! It really fucking hurts, Adora_ ,” Catra whimpers, her face twisting in agony.

“I’m not going to touch it, I promise. I just need to look at it. How does it hurt? Describe it to me,” Adora asks, gently taking Catra’s hand away from the bullet wound.

“ _It’s like… it’s…_ FUCK _! Burning! Like it’s been heated by a damn blow torch_!” Catra sobs.

That sounds strange to Adora; the gun the cop was using looked like a standard 9mm. She has seen her fair share of people getting shot by those, due to her time in the Army. People shot with that kind of gun usually didn’t feel the pain until a considerable amount of time, and that’s just normal people. If anyone could be able to withstand the pain of getting shot by that kind of gun, it’s Catra. “Stay still, okay?” Adora orders, and gets up to go over to the pistol. She picks it up. It’s a Sig Sauer P320, a standard service 9mm firearm. She slides out the magazine and takes out the bullets. What Adora sees takes her by surprise; 9mm ammo is usually bronze in color, but these ones are pure silver. Realization comes to Adora. In stories, werewolves are weakened by silver. Would it be the same for Catra?

Whatever the case, Catra needs help, and fast. She places the empty gun and magazine on the corner of the doorstep before rushing inside. “Here we go again,” Adora mumbles as she grabs the first aid kit and digs through it. If the bullet is hurting Catra, she has to remove it. Adora takes tweezers, surgical scissors, gauze, bandages, a syringe, and a small bottle of numbing fluid. On the way out again, she also grabs a small flashlight. Once everything she needs is in her hands, she rushes back to Catra.

The werecat’s eyes are squeezed tight, and the fur on her face is matted down with tears. She looks like she is in total agony. The sight of it breaks Adora’s heart; she has to act fast. “I’m here Catra, stay with me,” Adora comforts, running her fingers through the fur on Catra’s arm. The t-shirt Catra is wearing is tearing at the seams- she’s going to have to cut it to get to the bullet. “I’m going to have to cut your shirt off, okay?”

When Catra gives her a labored nod, Adora swiftly starts to cut at the fabric. She works quickly, but carefully as to not accidentally cut the werecat. The shirt eventually comes loose, and Adora pulls the scraps down Catra’s arms. She then rolls it up. “I don’t know how much this is going to hurt. I have a numbing agent here, but I’m not sure how effective it is against your species. Either way, we have to get that bullet out of your shoulder. You can bite down on this,” Adora explains, and offers the rolled-up fabric. Catra weakly takes it.

Adora then takes the syringe and loads it up with the fluid. “This might sting a little,” Adora warns, before injecting it near the wound site. Catra hisses at the puncture, and her claws dig into the fabric of the ruined shirt. Adora is glad that she was able to get the needle through her skin. She figures that it’s the silver’s doing. She shines the light onto the wound, and peers into the hole. The bullet is visible, and luckily, it is whole and doesn’t appear to be that deep. However, the flesh around the bullet looks severely inflamed. Removing it will have to be an extremely delicate process. Adora takes a deep breath. “I can get it out,” she mutters as she takes hold of her tweezers. “Here goes nothing.”

The second the tweezers make contact with her skin, Catra yowls loudly. She stuffs the fabric into her mouth and bites down hard, and her fangs sink into the shirt. “I’m gonna need you to hold still, okay?” Adora consoles, but Catra doesn’t respond, only balls up her fists. Adora does her best to tune out Catra’s hisses and growls, and is eventually able to grasp the tiny metal piece with her tweezers. As she pulls it out, Catra’s cries grow louder, and she trembles under Adora’s working hands. Despite Catra’s utter misery, the bullet soon comes free. Adora lets out a shaky breath of relief and wraps the silver piece up in a cloth for safety.

“Okay Catra, the worst of it’s over, now I just need to clean you up,” Adora informs her softly before standing up to go to the kitchen to get clean towels. When she returns, Catra is slumped against the wall, panting. Her eyes are open now, but they’re clouded with pain and fear. Adora kneels down and sets the towels next to her, before very carefully taking Catra’s face in her hands. “It’s almost over. You’re doing so good, honey,” Adora whispers. Catra whines lowly as she lets herself accept the blonde’s touch. Despite her pain, Adora is able to comfort her, if only a little.

Soon enough, Adora’s hands retreat to start cleaning Catra’s wound. She picks up a wet towel and carefully clears away the blood that mats the fur around the injury. Catra isn’t bleeding anymore, so all Adora has to do is clean it and put on the bandage. The wound is soon cleared. Before Adora starts bandaging Catra up, she picks up some antibiotic cream. “I don’t know if it’ll help that much, but there’s no harm in trying,” she says as she squeezes some onto her fingers, before gently applying it to the wound. Catra clenches her teeth at the sting it causes, but she doesn’t fuss.

“I think it’d be a good idea to be a human for this next part,” Adora suggests softly.

That isn’t something that Catra really wants to do, mostly in fear of shifting will make the pain worse. But she trusts Adora, she trusts that she’ll make everything better. Catra sighs deeply, and she feels herself relax into her human form. Her fur disappears, and she’s completely exposed and vulnerable.

Adora gives her a small smile in thanks, before applying the bandage. After it’s secured, Adora sits back. “There you go. You’re all set,” she confirms softly.

It still hurts. The pain isn’t as bad now that the bullet is out, but the ghost of the unbearable burning sensation still pulses on Catra’s shoulder. She leans forward and throws her arms around Adora. And Adora hugs back, careful as to not distress Catra further. She simply strokes Catra’s soft hair and behind her ears as the brunette sobs in Adora’s arms.

“I've got you, baby. It’s all over now,” Adora whispers, feeling her own cheeks get damp with tears. She just holds Catra through it, through the pain and aftershock of something so frightening for the both of them. The event plays over and over again in Adora’s head. She pulls Catra closer to her. “I was so scared, I thought I was gonna lose you.”

Catra laughs weakly. “I refuse to die because of one of those mangy dogs,” she rasps into the crook of Adora’s neck.

It’s just like Catra, Adora thinks, to try and reassure her after something scary like this. She attempts to laugh with her, but it turns into a quiet sob. They stay like that for several minutes, crying and clinging onto each other. Adora continues to whisper soft words of affection into Catra’s ear, trying to soothe herself almost as much as the woman in her arms. After a while, the crying stops, and Adora pulls away, only to hold Catra’s face with one hand as she looks into her eyes. “Are you okay?”

If Catra is being completely honest with herself, she isn’t sure. “I- I don’t know what went wrong. Something like that’s never happened to me before,” Catra admits quietly.

Adora bites her own lip and takes the cloth with the bullet in it. She carefully unravels the cloth. “I think it was because of this. It’s silver,” Adora explains. “And I don’t know how badly it effects people like you, but… for what it’s worth, I thought you were pretty tough through the whole ordeal.”

“Silver, huh? So those mutts have a way to hurt each other easily. I’ve never heard of something like that,” Catra adds.

“Well, that one left his gun behind. At least we have something to protect ourselves with if one of them comes back.”

“That’s a good point. How many bullets are left?”

“Good question,” Adora says before she reaches out to the magazine. She takes all of the bullets out and counts them. “Fourteen,” Adora answers before popping them all back into the mag. “We’ll have to use it sparingly.”

Catra only nods in agreement, and exhales raggedly.

Adora’s face softens. “But that doesn’t matter right now. Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks again, setting the magazine aside and scooting closer to Catra.

“It still burns. But I think I’ll be fine. Just exhausted,” Catra replies.

Adora nods. “Let’s get you inside then,” she says, before reaching her arms under Catra and carefully picking her up bridal style.

Catra’s arms immediately go around Adora’s neck to support herself, and she gets red in the face. “Adora, you don’t have to do that,” Catra protests.

“You just got shot. Let me do this for you, you’re not that heavy,” Adora shoots back with a light chuckle.

Though Catra had protested, she inwardly appreciates Adora doing this for her. She’s a little embarrassed about her chest being exposed, among other things, but other than that, she thinks it’s nice getting carried. Adora takes her to the bedroom, and sets her down on the bed gently. “Is there anything I can get you?” she asks.

Catra just shakes her head. “No. I just… I need you with me,” she requests, her eyes avoiding Adora’s.

At that, Adora kneels on the bed next to her. “I’m here, Catra. I’m not going anywhere,” she promises as her hand comes up under Catra’s chin, tilting her head up to look at her. “Can I kiss you?”

As soon as Catra nods, Adora goes in. She makes sure to be extra soft, delicate. Though the kiss is slow, Adora finds herself hovering over Catra by the end of it. Their lips part, and Adora looks down at Catra, feeling a new kind of hunger burn inside of her. But she refuses to chase after it; the time isn’t right for that.

Instead, Adora brushes a few light kisses all over Catra’s face, and she giggles weakly in response. “C’mere,” Catra breathes before pulling Adora down to snuggle. She gladly gives in, and she scoots Catra close to her. Catra nuzzles her face above the blonde’s chest. “I never had a night go downhill that fast,” she remarks.

“Leave it to the police to ruin everything,” Adora says, giggling slightly.

Catra looks up at her with a mischievous smirk. “I guess you could say we got copblocked?”

Adora rolls her eyes fondly. “Go to sleep, you goof.”

And Catra laughs, even though it makes her shoulder sting. “Love you,” she eventually sighs out.

Adora simply relaxes and combs her fingers through Catra’s hair. “Love you too, babe. Sleep well.”

…

It takes forever for Catra to finally fall asleep. The ache caused by the bullet throbs, and she thinks she’s never been this uncomfortable in her life, not even after having her chest practically be torn open. Whenever it gets especially bad, she just buries her nose in Adora’s chest and does her best to stifle her whimpers. And Adora is always there to comfort her. It’s amazing to Catra- Adora must not be sleeping at all, or she’s really light sleeper. Either way, every time the pain flares in her shoulder, Adora scratches her ears, rubs soft circles on her back, anything she can do to lessen the sting. Or at least, make it a less agonizing experience.

Needless to say, neither of them get that much sleep. As the lightest traces of dawn come through the window, Catra’s eyes flutter open. When they do, she sees tired blue eyes looking back at her. “Hey, Adora,” Catra whispers somberly.

“Hey,” Adora replies. “Are you feeling any better at all?”

“Maybe… I don’t know. It comes in waves,” Catra explains in a quiet voice. “They seem to be getting a little more tolerable, I think. But maybe it’s just because I’m exhausted.”

Adora gives her a sympathetic look, before running her hand over Catra’s arm. Catra is unable to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry. What I did last night was reckless. I was just… he had his hands on you, and my body just acted on it’s own,” Catra rambles, her voice getting more emotional as she goes on. “And I’ve been keeping you awake all night with my weakness-“

“Hey. I don’t want to hear you talking about yourself like that,” Adora objects as her hand glides back up Catra’s arm and to her face, and rubbing Catra’s jawline with her thumb. “It’s true I was worried about you, but you couldn’t have known about the silver bullets. We’ll just have to be more careful next time.”

Catra finally looks Adora in the eyes. _Damn it, Adora. It’s okay to get mad sometimes_ , she thinks.

But Adora continues. “And what you’re going through is not weakness. If anything, it’s strength. You are so, so strong, Catra. Please don’t try to convince yourself otherwise.”

At that, Catra gives her a small smile, before her face scrunches up. “Another wave,” she grunts.

Adora’s hand immediately finds Catra’s. The grip Catra has is very, _very_ tight, but Adora doesn’t say anything, she just holds onto Catra as she goes through it. The wave soon passes, and Catra’s hold loosens.

“I’m getting you some painkillers. I’ll be right back,” Adora announces before releasing Catra’s hand and slipping out of the bed. At the loss, Catra carefully curls up on herself. The stretch irritates the injury a little, which causes her to whine. Soon, Adora returns to her. Catra takes the painkillers that Adora gives her before relaxing back into the pillows.

“You should probably get some rest. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” Catra attempts to reassure Adora, but she isn’t having it.

“No way, Catra. I’m staying with you,” she starts, before she bites the inside of her cheek. “Unless… you want to be alone?”

Catra shakes her head. “Not really, if I’m being honest. It’s just- you have work soon, and you’ve barely slept all night.”

Adora laughs. “Yeah, there’s no way I’m going into work after a night like that. But… I should call Glimmer to let her know what’s up,” she says before reaching to her phone. When Catra doesn’t protest, she goes to her contacts and dials her up.

The phone rings a few times, before Glimmer picks up with a sleepy voice. “ _Hello?”_

“Hey, Glimmer, it’s me. I know you just took my shift a few days ago, and I really appreciate that, but something happened last night and I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to leave the house,” Adora explains through the receiver.

“ _Wait, what? Why? What happened?”_

“A cop came to our door last night, and… Catra got shot. I was able to treat her, but she’s in pain, and I really don’t want to leave her alone,” Adora confesses.

“ _Oh shit, Adora, that’s really serious! If they know where you are then you shouldn’t stay there_!”

“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. We might have to leave town for a while, at least until we can figure out a plan. Can you ask Bow if he’d be okay with looking after Swifty for a while?” Adora asks, and Catra perks her head up at the suggestion.

“ _Of course. Just be safe.”_

“We’ll try. Thanks a million,” Adora replies before the two women say their goodbyes. Adora then hangs up the phone.

Catra feels a pit in her gut. No matter how many times Adora tries to reassure her, Catra still feels like a burden to her- or even more than that, a danger. Adora wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for her. “You know, it’s me they’re after. If I went out of town on my own, they’d probably leave you alone,” Catra suggests.

Adora laughs. “Yeah, that’s not going to work, and you know it. Even if I wanted you to leave, which is the last thing I’d ever, _ever_ want,” Adora emphasizes as she turns her body around and scoots closer to her, “I’m already too tangled up in you. And I don’t regret that.”

When Catra doesn’t look convinced, Adora moves in to capture her lips. It’s short, but sweet, and it seems to get the job done. When they part, Catra’s eyes are softened into a look of love. Her ears droop, but she eventually nods. “Okay. I just… I want you to be safe. If I let something happen to you, I don’t think I could forgive myself.”

“Hey,” Adora continues, “I may not be able to shift into a big tiger like you can, but I’d like to think I’m tough. Plus, I’m pretty handy with a gun. My time in service had to be good for something, right?” Her hands find Catra’s, and she holds them in her lap. Catra looks down at them, and back up to Adora’s face. Despite the danger that seemed to be all around them, Adora seems to be putting Catra first, no matter what happens. It makes her fall even more in love.

She giggles, and nods. “Guess you’re right about that,” Catra agrees softly.

As the day goes by, Catra is relieved to find that the painkillers work, if only mildly. She’ll take any relief she can get. The waves of pain still come occasionally, but Adora is never far to help her through them. They spend the majority of the day watching tv, talking about anything, and a few mild makeout sessions. It’s amazing to Catra, how simply being with Adora manages to make something scary and traumatic like recovering with a bullet wound so sweet.

Sometime during the late afternoon, while the two of them are chilling out of the couch, Swiftwind starts barking from the backyard. For a while Adora brushes it off as him wanting to chase after a squirrel or something, but after a good fifteen minutes, she starts getting suspicious. “I think I’m gonna go check on him,” Adora says as she gets up to go to the backyard.

The golden retriever puppy is stood up against the front side of the fence, trying to get a glimpse at something in the front yard. Adora’s suspicions grow as she watches the pup bristle up and growl. She hurriedly closes the back door and rushes to grab the pistol on the counter top.

“Is everything okay?” Catra asks from the couch, putting on a concerned expression as she watches Adora walk carefully to the front door.

“Something’s in our yard. Stay inside,” Adora orders as she carefully opens the door and peers outside, pistol at the ready.

Surely enough, she sees a familiar figure leaning against the front of her pickup truck- a woman in maroon robes. Her eyes widen in shock. “What are you doing back here?” Adora questions, lowering the gun, but only slightly.

Shadow Weaver looks up at her with an unamused expression. “I am not here to talk to you, girl.”

Adora shoots her a glare. “This is my property, and you’re trespassing. Be lucky that I haven’t used this already,” she warns, gesturing to the gun in her hand.

“Oh, calm down, _human_. I just wish to speak to Catra, that is all.”

“What, so you can try to manipulate her more? She isn’t taking visitors at the moment, sorry to say.”

The older woman’s scarred face hardens. She then grips the collars of her robes, before spreading them apart. Adora has to resist the overwhelming urge to turn away and gag- but what she sees surprises her. There is a dark hole in her chest, right above where her heart would be. The wound seems charred, for some strange reason. “Just get her out here. It’s important,” Shadow Weaver spits.

Adora looks at the hole in her chest, and back up to her face. “Fine. But don’t try anything. I’m feeling especially trigger happy today,” she threatens before going back inside.

“Who’s out there?” Catra asks from the sofa.

The blonde looks to the door. “It’s Shadow Weaver. She says she wants to talk to you, and that it’s important.”

Catra’s face hardens with anger. She immediately gets up and goes to the front door, with Adora following her close behind. “You sure have quite the pair to show your ugly mug back here. Do you not remember what I said to you last time? That I’d fucking kill you the next time I see you?” Catra challenges as soon as she sees the older woman.

Shadow Weaver only scoffs. “Oh please, there’s no need for that. I’m already dying, Catra.”

Catra’s eyes widen at those words. “What the fuck do you mean ‘you’re dying?’”

The wound on her chest is exposed again. “I meant what I said, you incompetent fool. I tried going to the police to get you to come home. As much as I didn’t want to partake in human affairs, it seemed like my last resort. But those men at the police station weren’t human. As soon as I told them your whereabouts, they ganged up on me, and shot me in the chest with a silver bullet. It is _incredibly_ painful, as I’m sure you can imagine, judging by the bandage on your shoulder.”

Defensively, Catra covers up the bandage with her hand and turns away slightly. “So I take it you’re here to get treated, then? What makes you think Adora would do that for you?” Catra questions.

A weak, breathy laugh escapes Shadow Weaver’s throat. “Simple-minded child. I did not expect you to go that far. Even if I did, it’s too late for me. The silver has already begun to infect my heart. I’d say I have a little more than an hour before my time comes,” she explains, covering her chest back up.

“So… so why are you here then?” Catra asks, trying not to show any emotion.

The older woman’s eyes narrow. “So little faith in me, I see. Despite what you believe, I do care about you, Catra. While I was at the police station, those werewolves let their true intentions slip,” she begins to explain. “You see, this pack of wolves call themselves ‘The Horde.’ Amazingly, they have been able to take over this town’s police department. I’m assuming that the Alpha rose to power in the force to let that happen. Regardless, I heard that _you,” S_ hadow Weaver emphasizes as she points to Catra, “took out their Beta. And now, they are enraged and humiliated at this loss. They are after revenge, and they won’t stop until they get it.”

Those words hit Catra like a semi-truck. Her stomach ties itself in knots.

“What… what are we going to do?” Adora asks gingerly.

“Hmph. I guess that’s the real reason why I’m here,” Shadow Weaver continues. “You want my advice? Leave town. I suggest going south, to Crimson City. Stop by the Cactus Pub, the bartender there owes me a favor. Tell them I sent you, and you should be able to get the help you need.”

“Hold on a second, how do we know you aren’t just setting a trap for us?” Catra deflects, bristling up slightly.

“I’m on my death bed and you still don’t trust me? Typical. Truth is, you don’t know. But it’s the best chance you’ve got right now, I assume,” Shadow Weaver shoots back, crossing her arms lazily.

Catra doesn’t know what to say. For a few seconds, she just stands there in silence. “…Why?”

Shadow Weaver raises an eyebrow. “Why what?”

“Why are you telling me this? For my entire life, the only reason you kept me around was to hide your putrid scent from other were-creatures who were after you. And now- now I’m with a human, and you’re disgusted by them! Why are you suddenly helping me?” Catra rambles, failing to keep her voice from cracking slightly.

The older woman only sighs. “I guess being faced with your death mellows you out. Also, now you can’t say I never did anything for you.”

There it is. Catra knew it. Shadow Weaver just wants to get the last laugh before she kicks the bucket. Catra’s fists clench. “I think… I think you better leave.”

Shadow Weaver gives Catra one last smirk. “You’re welcome,” she says smugly, before shuffling behind the truck and back into the forest.

Adora steps up to Catra and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay? That was kind of… a lot to take in,” Adora asks.

Catra laughs a dry, breathy laugh. “Yeah, I guess the entire police department are after our heads. But Shadow Weaver? She… she was a fucking awful person, an awful mother, just all kinds of rancid awful packed into one woman! She doesn’t deserve my sympathy, she… she…” Catra isn’t able to say the rest. She feels a lump in her throat, as hot tears burn in her eyes. “Damn it… after all she’s done to me, I fucking refuse to cry over her!”

“Hey! It’s okay to cry, Catra. She may have been an awful person, but she was still a big part of your life,” Adora soothes as she pulls Catra into a careful embrace. Catra’s arms wrap around Adora’s waist as she squeezes her eyes shut. Some tears manage to slip out, and she curses internally, but she continues to cling to Adora. All kinds of confused emotions swirl in her brain. She's been waiting for this day to come ever since she turned into a teenager. But this isn't what she expected at all.

After a while, Catra pulls away. “Let’s go back inside,” she mutters, taking Adora’s hand and leading her through the front door.

“Do you think we should go through with it?” Adora asks as she sits back down on the couch.

Catra gives her a look. “Go through with what?”

“You know, what Shadow Weaver said. To go to Crimson City,” Adora clarifies.

An idea comes to Catra. “I don’t know about going to the bar yet,” she starts, “but I think I know of somewhere we can stay for the time being.”

Adora’s face lights up. “You do? Where?”

“I’m gonna need to borrow your phone first,” Catra explains, and Adora nods, before digging it out of her pocket and handing it to her. Catra then takes a deep breath, and dials up Scorpia’s number. It only rings twice before the phone is picked up.

_“Hello! Scorpia here!”_

Scorpia’s enthusiasm makes Catra roll her eyes. “Hey Scorpia, it’s me, Catra.”

“ _Wildcat! How’s it goin’_?”

“I’m fine, I’m just calling to ask if you still live in that place with the guest bedroom?”

“ _Yep, sure do! Why do you ask?”_

Catra takes a deep breath. “Listen, Scorpia, I know we just became friends again yesterday, but I really have to get out of town. It’s… a long story. I was wondering if you’d be okay with me and Adora crashing at your place for a while. Not for very long, just for like, a week or two, maybe?”

_“Oh, of course! That would be so fun, it’d be like a sleepover! I have like, so many old movies we could watch! Gosh, I’m gonna have to go shopping before you guys get here-“_

“Okay, good to know, Scorpia. We’ll be there tomorrow afternoon. You’re a lifesaver,” Catra admits into the receiver.

_“Anytime, Wildcat!_ ”

Once she’s off the phone, Catra sighs. Scorpia can be a handful sometimes, but she’s definitely reliable. “Looks like we got ourselves a place,” Catra announces.

Adora grins. “Guess we should start packing, then?”

“Guess we should,” Catra replies. She doesn't really want to do anything, especially with her injury, but the threat of The Horde is now looming in the air. Catra feels like she doesn't have a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another disclaimer: even though I did a ton of research for this chapter I garuntee it's not accurate, it's all super dramatic fiction, don't try this at home, call 911 immediately if you or someone you know gets shot, and most importantly do not attempt to remove bullets! These useless lesbians only get a pass because the bullet was toxic.  
> But seriously all of the research I did on guns and gunshot wounds probably put me on the fbi watchlist. Worth it.


	13. On The Road

They get up early the next day. The sun is slowly rising over the horizon, and Adora starts packing up. Catra is in the backyard. She is supposed to be getting Swiftwind ready, but instead, she feels the need to try something. Catra takes in deep breaths, focuses, and tries to shift. Every time she feels like she’s beginning to change, there is a sharp flair of pain in her shoulder. She grits her teeth and relaxes her body. “Shit,” Catra curses to herself, “this isn’t good.”

The golden retriever puppy pads to her and looks up at her with happy brown eyes. His tail wags behind him. Catra grumbles and kneels down. “Your kind just had to go and put a bullet in me. Are you proud?” She is only answered by the puppy leaping up on her knees to lick her face. “Ugh! That’s nasty,” Catra complains and stands back up, letting the puppy simply fall back on all fours. “Maybe one day I’ll understand what Adora sees in you,” she remarks to the dog before going back inside.

For most of the morning, Catra helps Adora pack her stuff. Catra always kept her belongings in her bag at the ready to move quickly, a habit that she has yet to break out of. On the other hand, Adora has a little bit of trouble deciding what’s a necessity and what isn’t- truth is, she doesn’t know how long they’re going to be gone. Catra told Scorpia one or two weeks, but that’s being ideal. What if they’re gone for a lot longer than that? What if… they never came back to this place?

After some careful planning and decision making, Adora chucks the last of her bags into the truck. She turns around and leans against it. Soon enough, Catra walks out the front door with Swiftwind. “We almost ready?” she asks, stepping up to the blonde, leash in hand.

Adora tunes out of her trance, and nods quickly. “Yeah. Just let me text Bow,” she confirms as she gets out her phone.

Her hesitation is noticeable to Catra. She shifts her weight onto her other foot and looks down in thought. Catra’s used to picking herself up and moving on when the situation calls for it, but she isn’t sure Adora is the same way. Either way, Catra isn’t good at being vocally supportive, she never really was that much of an optimist. _What would Scorpia do in this situation?_ Catra thinks to herself. She silently sighs to herself, before resting her free hand on Adora’s shoulder, causing the blonde to look up at her. “We’re… gonna get through this, okay? No matter what happens, at least we’ll be together,” Catra affirms. She internally cringes as her tail twitches behind her; the words she says sound forced in her mind.

Even so, Adora seems to relax a little. She smiles before gently wrapping her arms around Catra. “Yeah. You’re right,” she replies in a whisper. And Adora believes her own reply. It was her decision, after all, to stay with Catra. Because truthfully, Catra was more home to her than any house could be. Catra holds Adora’s waist, keeping her in place for what feels like a long time. Swifty starts to pull on the leash, and Catra releases her hold on the other woman before taking a step back. “We should probably get going. Someone’s being impatient,” Catra suggests, turning to the puppy with scorn in her voice towards the end.

They get in the truck, with Adora in the driver’s seat as usual, and Catra in the seat next to her with the golden puppy in her lap. Adora looks over to her with a fond expression. Catra’s ears flatten against her head. “Don’t look at me like that! I just got used to his scent,” Catra says defensively, turning her head away and blushing. Adora only scoffs with a smirk before turning the truck on and pulling out of the driveway.

Bow’s place is just across town, which only takes a few minutes to drive to. The truck pulls up to the curve. “And I was just warming up to you,” Catra grumbles to the puppy before handing the leash over to Adora. She takes it, before stepping out of the vehicle. The blonde then walks up to the front door and knocks. It doesn’t take long for Bow to open the door. “Morning, Adora! Come on in!” he greets before stepping to the side.

Swiftwind waddles through the doorway, and Adora follows shortly behind him. “Thank you so much for doing this, Bow. I know it’s short notice, but I’m really grateful for your help,” Adora says as she hands the leash over to Bow.

“Hey, it’s no problem! I’m sure his Mom’s gonna be happy to see him again,” Bow replies with a small hand wave. His expression then falls slightly. “But, Adora… Are you going to be okay? Glimmer told me what happened, and that’s gotta be really stressful.”

Adora can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, stressful is a bit of an understatement. But…” she trails off. It’s easy to get trapped thinking about the depth of this problem. This isn’t just some random people out to get Catra, this is the actual, legitimate police force. She doesn’t even know where to start with solving this mess. “I can’t let them get her, Bow. I already let them do too much the other night,” she admits somberly.

Bow then puts both of his hands on Adora’s shoulders. “I understand, Adora. I think you’re making the right choice here. And in the meantime? Me and Glimmer will do whatever we can to cover your tracks. We’ll always have your back,” he reassures before pulling Adora into a hug. “And we’ll keep you updated, if it’ll make you feel any better.”

The hug is returned, and Adora gives him a grateful smile when they pull away. “Thanks, Bow. You’re a really good friend.”

“Like I said, we got you, fam. But there’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Bow brings up, and Adora’s eyebrows raise. “Glimmer said you were able to treat Catra. Are you… okay with that? With, y’know, what happened and all.”

The question is good intentioned, Adora thinks to herself. She should probably stop hiding things from her friends. “It was hard, at first. It still is. But I have to do it, for Catra’s sake. And… this might sound really corny, but she makes it not as bad? She’s been really supportive,” Adora answers, smiling to herself as a light blush tints her face.

“That’s great to hear. I can tell you two go way back,” Bow responds, and Adora’s stomach flips in guilt.

“Um… Actually, I should also probably tell you guys that I haven’t been completely honest with you. I only said we were high school friends to cover up Catra’s situation,” Adora confesses, hugging herself as she turns away from her friend. “She was a regular customer for a few days before she got attacked. That’s how we met.”

Bow blinks a few times in thought, but he eventually just smiles. “I get why you’d say that. Thanks for telling me the truth.”

“So… you’re not mad?” Adora asks gingerly.

“Nope! You were just protecting your girl, I understand completely,” Bow confirms.

Adora’s face goes red. The fact that she and Catra were together now had solidified in her mind at this point, but it still made her stomach flutter when her friend brought it up. “Okay. Thanks, Bow, for not being mad. And thanks again for all of this,” Adora rambles.

“What can I say? We’re the best friend squad,” Bow says, flashing his friend a cheery smile and a thumbs up. “Anyway, I better let you get going. It’s a long way to Crimson City.”

They say their goodbyes, and Adora returns to the truck. Catra is curled up against the window with her eyes closed.

“C’mon, I wasn’t away for _that_ long,” Adora jokes quietly as she starts the truck up again.

Catra opens her amber eye to stare at Adora. “I need my beauty sleep.”

Adora snorts. “Yeah, okay. Whatever you say, gorgeous.”

“Shut up, trying to sleep,” Catra retorts with a playful grin.

The blonde rolls her eyes, but decides not to bother Catra as she takes the exit out of town and onto the highway going south. The truck reaches the speed limit, and Adora relaxes into the driver’s seat, in a more comfortable position. Soon, Catra’s eyes open once more, and she stretches out. “How long is this car ride gonna be anyway?” she yawns, squeaking slightly at the end of her stretch.

“We barely made it on the highway and you’re already asking when it’s gonna end, huh?” Adora teases, looking over to the passenger seat with a smug grin. Catra only gives her an unamused expression in return. Adora laughs, and says, “We should be on the road for around three hours, maybe four if we make a lot of stops.”

“Three hours?!” Catra exclaims, sitting up from her seat, exasperation showing on her face. “What the hell are we supposed to do for three damn hours?”

“Well, _I’m_ supposed to drive. You? You can figure out that one on your own.”

“Ugh, this is gonna be the worst,” Catra complains.

“Oh, please. You’re probably gonna be asleep for most of it anyway,” Adora starts, taking slight amusement in Catra’s fussing. _She’s acting like a kid. It’s funny._ “Anyway, didn’t you used to live in Crimson City with Scorpia? I thought all of this would be old news to you.”

Catra huffs and sits back into the seat. They weren’t all that comfortable- definitely not napping material. “Yeah, but I didn’t travel by car, I traveled on foot. Time goes by a lot faster when I’m shifted.”

Adora gets a smug look on her face, and Catra regrets saying anything. “Weeell, if it’ll make you feel better, I could kick you out of the truck and you could run along ‘side it!” she suggests with a teasing grin.

“The whole point of going to the city was to not get caught, genius. But yeah, mind as well let the whole state know I’m a big cat,” Catra shoots back sarcastically.

“Hey, I was just suggesting!” Adora giggles out.

Catra groans. “You’re a menace.”

“But you looove me!”

Oh, how Catra hates it that she’s right. She tries hard to fight her lips from curling up into a smile, but she ultimately fails. “Yeah, whatever. Just don’t get us into a wreck.”

“No promises!”

Truth be told, sitting in the truck isn’t _that_ bad. The two women occasionally share more teasing banter, and Adora turns on the radio somewhere along the line, to some classic rock station. She seems to get particularly excited when a song starts with a chill base line. “Oh, I love this song!” she exclaims and turns the volume up. However, all of the excitement in Adora’s eyes immediately vanishes when the lyrics start with an _ice, ice, baby._ “Aw, come on! This isn’t even the right station for that!” Adora complains before turning the volume back down in frustration.

Catra fails to hold back an amused snicker. “What’s the matter, Adora? I thought you said you loved it.”

“It’s the wrong one!” Adora whines, slumping into the driver’s seat in disappointment. “Honestly, I don’t know how I fall for that every time. Stupid Vanilla Ice…” she grumbles.

“It’s not that big of a deal. It’s all music, one way or another.”

"Hmph. One of these days I'll make you see what I mean," Adora promises, determination in her face.

Catra rolls her eyes. "Whatever, weirdo."

Despite the disappointing start for Adora, she quietly sings along to some of the ones that come on after it. Objectively, Adora doesn’t have the best voice in the world, but for some reason, Catra still likes listening to it. Her voice was always comforting to Catra, weather she was talking, or singing. Her mind starts to wander- she wonders what Adora’s voice would sound like in some _other_ situations. Catra kicks herself mentally. _Don’t be a creeper,_ she scolds herself.

The song changes again, and this time, Catra recognizes it. Adora grins. “Hey, this one’s from that CD you like. You know the words by now?” she asks as she turns up the volume.

Color comes to Catra’s face. Why is she embarrassed because of this? It feels weirdly personal. “I mean… a little,” she admits, looking away.

“You could sing with me then! It’s fun!” Adora suggests. Catra isn’t entirely sure that she wants to do that. Singing never really was something she ever thought about doing. Even Scorpia couldn’t get her to do it, and that girl _loved_ to sing. Despite Catra’s hesitation, Adora starts up when the lyrics do, soft, and melodic. Catra’s mouth feels suddenly dry. She really, _really_ likes hearing Adora sing it. Eventually, Catra swallows the lump in her throat, and starts along with Adora a few lines in. " _Trust I seek and I find in you, every day for us, something new..._ " Blue eyes quickly glance in her direction, and Adora gives her a big, loving grin.

Though she starts out extremely quietly, Catra begins to really find her voice in the middle of the song. And it feels good. How could something so simple such as changing your voice a little to music feel so damn satisfying? They finish it together, and Adora keeps giving Catra side glances with that big, dopey grin still on her face. “What is it?” Catra eventually asks, crossing her arms defensively.

“Oh, sorry! It’s nothing, just…” Adora fidgets her thumbs a little on the steering wheel. “You have a really nice voice. You should sing more often.”

That makes Catra go red. For a moment she considers brushing the compliment off with some snide remark, but she only looks down, and laces her own fingers in her lap. “…Thanks.”

Adora's smile doesn't fade. "Absolutely. Also, figures you'd be a Metallica fan," she teases lightly.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Catra questions, crossing her arms again.

"Nope, not at all! You're just a lil' edgy, so it fits," Adora jokes.

"Psh. Like I said, it's all music to me. Some of it's just prettier than others."

Other than the commercials now playing on the radio, the truck goes silent. Catra looks out the window, watching the groves of trees pass by. They soon begin to pass through the next town over. “We’re getting a little low on gas, let’s stop here,” Adora brings up before pulling into a gas station. “You can go ahead and pick out some snacks for us while I fill up, we still got a ways to go.”

At that, Catra pulls her cap over her ears and walks inside the gas station. It’s a pretty big one, with a subway attached to it. Catra can’t help but feel a little nostalgic- coming in a store to get sandwiches sort of started her whole thing with Adora. She smiles to herself, before moving on to the drinks section. She is soon found by Adora, who steps right up to her. “See anything you like?”

Catra smirks as she turns to the blonde. “Now I do.”

“Well, unfortunately, you can’t drink me. Not while we’re on the road, anyway,” Adora responds as she reaches into the cooler to grab herself a water. Catra sputters a little at the response- she didn’t expect that at all.

Adora turns back to Catra, before her eyes get wide. “Catra, look!” she exclaims and points to the other side of the store. Catra turns, and she sees an entire wall dedicated to souvenirs, mainly hats. “Shall we go see if they have something a little easier on the ears?” Adora says as she offers her hand. Catra rolls her eyes, smiling slightly as she takes it.

As it turns out, the store has a fairly wide collection of different hats and caps, most of them scattered around the shelf, while some of the more expensive ones are hung up. “What do you think of this one?” Adora asks, picking up a black fedora. She takes off Catra’s cap before placing the new hat on her head.

It hugs Catra’s ears awkwardly, similarly to the cap. “Hmm. I don’t know, it doesn’t feel that much different. Besides, I think this one’d look better on you,” Catra answers as she takes it off and plops it on Adora. “Hey, Fedora.”

“And you have the nerve to call me a dork,” Adora jabs as she takes off the hat and puts it back on the shelf. Her eyes suddenly widen. “What about this?!” she exclaims as she picks up a big, dusty-brown Stetson style hat. She slips it on and leans against Catra. “I’m yer huckleberry,” she jokes in a low, bad western accent.

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this stupid,” Catra laughs, pushing down the brim to cover Adora’s face.

Laughing, Adora then remarks, “Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you try it! But if it ain’t your style, that’s fine. I might just get it for me!” Adora then grimaces after looking at the price tag. “Or not. Being cool isn’t worth thirty bucks.”

“You have a strange definition of ‘cool,’ I gotta admit,” Catra remarks as she digs through her side of the shelf.

Adora scoffs. “Whatever. Ooh, what’s this?” she says to herself before picking up a red cap. “This one might be a little looser, if you wanna- oh, _ew_ ,” she interrupts herself and tosses the cap back on the shelf after seeing the white words on the front. “Never mind, let’s not get that one. What about…” she picks up a dark red bandana. It looks like it’d suit Catra. “What do you think of this?” Adora asks as she hands the bandana over to Catra.

The brunette takes it, and examines it. The fabric feels decent in her hands, and she could adjust it around her ears if it starts getting uncomfortable. “Yeah, this’ll do,” Catra confirms.

After picking out the bandana, the two women go to get snacks before checking out their items. They return to the truck, and it’s soon back on the road. Catra nods off, and sleep soon takes her. She sleeps for about an hour, before she’s woken up by an ache in her shoulder. “Ugh, that was a mistake,” she grumbles as she clutches her wound through her t-shirt.

“Are you feeling alright? How’s your wound?” Adora asks, shooting a worried glance in Catra’s direction.

“It’s fine it just… hurts like a bitch,” Catra confesses, her ears flat against hear head as she resists the urge to touch the injury and irritate it further. Catra thinks that she should probably tell Adora about her problem. She takes a deep breath. “I tried shifting this morning, before we left. I couldn’t do it. It was too painful.”

That makes Adora’s eyes widen. “That… doesn’t sound good,” she says, kicking herself mentally. _Of course that isn’t good, idiot_ , she scolds herself. “Maybe it just needs some time? If you’re still having trouble in a few days, we could…” she trails off. What is she supposed to say? Adora doesn’t know the first thing about how were-creatures work, how is she supposed to fix this? “I don’t know. But we’ll figure something out, I promise.”

Catra slumps against the truck door. The pain starts to recede a little, but she can’t shake the feeling of being useless. She tries not to think about what would happen if she needed to shift, but she couldn’t do it in time. Those thoughts come to her anyway. “Yeah. We’ll see,” Catra mutters into the window.

Adora’s heart sinks. Catra doesn’t seem convinced at all. The blonde sighs, and her eyes flick over to Catra again. Specifically, to her hand, which rests on top of the medium between the seats. Adora reaches out her hand to hold Catra’s and laces their fingers. Catra gives her a fond look, with one of her eyebrows raised. “Don’t you need both hands to drive?” she asks.

“Nah. I’m a pretty good driver,” she brags, and gently squeezes Catra’s hand. Catra scoffs, but she doesn’t pull her hand away.

They stay like that for a while. Eventually, the trees begin to fade into civilization. The buildings get larger as the truck drives deeper into the city. “We’re almost there,” Adora announces. It takes a few minutes to find Scorpia’s apartment complex, but Adora parks into the lot when she thinks she has the right one. “Does this look familiar at all?” Adora asks, feeling a little insecure.

“Yeah, I guess so. Let’s go,” Catra confirms and steps out of the vehicle. They walk up to the apartment number that Scorpia gave them, and Catra knocks on the door.

It doesn’t take long for it to open, and Scorpia stands in the doorway, with a big, welcoming grin. “You guys made it! Come in, come in! Wow, you guys came right as I finished cleaning, talk about good timing!” she goes on as she steps aside, letting the couple through.

The apartment is pretty dang nice, Adora thinks. It’s decently sized, well furnished, spotless. “Wow, this is a nice place you got,” Adora comments, taking in her surroundings.

“Hey, thanks! I do my best to keep it comfortable, in case anybody wants to come over. Even though I don’t really get guests that often,” Scorpia admits with a shy smile. “Oh, let me show you guys to your room!” she announces and begins to walk down the hall, motioning for them to follow her. She opens a door leading to the guest bedroom. “Here it is! I hope it’s comfortable enough for you two, I uh, know the bed isn’t very big, but I could get an air mattress or something, if you want,” Scorpia rambles.

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be fine! It looks great, Scorpia,” Adora reassures with a hand wave. “I better start bringing our bags in,” she says as she turns to walk back to the truck.

“Do you want me to help?” Catra offers.

Adora shakes her head. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. You’re still recovering. You can help me unpack in a few,” she replies before continuing to head outside.

“Wow, she is really nice. I just know we’re gonna be good friends,” Scorpia comments with a grin.

Catra crosses her arms, thinking about what to say. “Hey, Scorpia? I just wanna say… thanks for letting us stay here. Just let us know if you need help with like… I dunno, rent, chores, that kinda stuff.”

Scorpa waves her hand. “Oh, pshhh, believe me, you guys are more than welcome to stay here! I love visitors!” Catra smiles weakly at that, but she still can’t quite shake the feeling of owing something to her friend.

“And oh, by the way,” Scorpia starts, getting close to Catra and putting a hand up, as if she’s telling a secret. “Me and Perfuma have this arrangement, where if you two want to spend the night, oh, y’know,” she pauses to tilt her head forward, “ _alone_ , then I can just go over to her place for the night.”

Catra’s face flares up at that. “Scorpia…” she mutters through clenched teeth, before Adora comes back with her hands full of luggage. Catra and Scorpia both step out of her way, and Catra decides to drop the topic. She’d be lying if she said that she didn’t appreciate the gesture, but she doesn’t know if she’d ever actually ask Scorpia to do something like that.

Soon enough, all of their bags are out of the truck and into the bedroom. “I better start making dinner. Give me a call if you guys need anything,” Scorpia announces before going to the kitchen.

Adora sits on the edge of the bed to catch her breath. “I’m pretty sure that’s everything,” Adora thinks out loud. She then looks behind her, to the bed. “I hate to admit it, but Scorpia kind of was right about the bed, it’s smaller than ours back home. Are you sure you’ll be comfortable sleeping in it? With your injury and all?”

“I’ll be fine, Adora, I swear,” Catra answers, taking the spot on the bed next to Adora and leaning on her side. “Being a little closer to you never hurt me.” Catra then holds back a groan at the wide, dorky grin that appears on Adora’s face.

A little while after the two women get situated, there’s a knock at their door. “Dinner’s ready!” Scorpia says from the other side.

“By the way, Scorpia’s like, a super good cook,” Catra says once they’re all in the kitchen.

Scorpia blushes. “Oh, I try my best! It’s just so fun to learn new recipes, and all that stuff. Plus I’ve always liked cooking for other people, everyone deserves a good, home cooked meal once in a while,” she rambles as she dishes up their plates with spaghetti.

A plate is handed to Adora, and she has to admit to herself, it does look and smell really good. She feels bad about the slight twinge of jealousy in her gut- she wonders if Catra likes her cooking as much as Scorpia’s. The blonde does her best to shove those feelings aside before shoveling some pasta in her mouth. They were both right, it’s some of the best pasta she’s ever tasted.

Adora and Catra decide to go to bed not long after dinner- it’s been a long day for them. Catra’s tail swishes behind her as she watches the blonde relaxing in bed on her phone. Scorpia’s proposition from earlier plays in her mind. She hates to admit it, but it sounded really tempting. Being in a truck for a good chunk of her day without that much physical contact left her feeling a little needy. Adora seems to notice Catra’s interest, and she looks up at her. “What’s up?” she asks simply.

Catra leans in suddenly, only stopping about an inch from Adora’s face. Adora’s breath hitches, and color splotches her face. “Just been thinking about you,” Catra whispers huskily. Adora’s eyes darken, half-lidded as they look up into Catra’s multicolored.

“Yeah?” Adora responds, her hand sneaking up to feel Catra’s waist. “Me too.”

Their lips are on each other’s not a second later. They’re forced to be incredibly close on the bed, which isn’t something that either of them mind, by any means. To avoid from slipping off, however, Catra moves herself so she’s on top of Adora, straddling her. Adora’s hands explore up Catra’s sides and across her back, and she grips the fabric of her night shirt, helpless to stop sounds of satisfaction from escaping her throat.

It only takes a few seconds of feeling Adora’s tongue against hers for Catra to become very aware of a dull, burning pressure in her gut. Making out like this always feels good. Too good. Catra runs her hands down Adora’s shoulders, feeling her muscles as hands glide over the soft skin of her upper arms. It makes Catra want to melt against Adora. She wants to take all of her in, and just explore everything about her. But she refrains, and slowly pulls away. “Scorpia told me,” Catra starts between ragged breaths and short kisses, “that we should tell her if we want the house to ourselves. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out what she meant by that.”

If it was possible at that moment for Adora to get even more red in the face, she definitely would have. “Oh,” she begins, her eyes tearing themselves away from Catra’s. “I’m guessing she has some pretty thin walls then?”

“Apparently. Sorry for riling you up. I just…” Catra sits up and looks away. “I just like kissing you. Even if it doesn’t go anywhere.”

Adora sits up with her. “Hey. Don’t be sorry,” she reassures as she gently rubs Catra’s back. “I like it too. I love you, and I love being with you, no matter what we’re doing.”

Catra snorts. “Even getting chased out of town by the cops?”

Adora laughs. “Yeah. Even that. I don’t know about you, but I had fun today.”

“Yeah, I… I guess it was fun. I love you, too,” Catra replies, before lying back down onto the bed. Adora follows suit, and they find a comfortable position, limbs tangled up in each other as they slowly fall asleep.

…

Catra wakes up the next morning with the space next to her empty. She gets up and stretches before opening the bedroom door. She is instantly hit with the smell of breakfast foods cooking. Surely enough, Scorpia is over the stove, with eggs and sausages cooking in the pan. Adora is watching her closely.

They both notice Catra at the same time. “Morning, Catra! I’m helping Scorpia make breakfast,” Adora greets enthusiastically.

Scorpia nods and smiles. “I really do appreciate it, too! Having a helping hand is always great in the kitchen!”

“God, you two are so bright and cheery. It’s too early in the morning for that,” Catra grumbles as she leans over the countertop.

Adora scoffs. “Don’t forget that these two bright and cheery people are cooking your breakfast,” Adora replies, lightly tapping Catra on the head with her spatula. Catra opens her mouth to say something witty in response, before she’s cut off by the sound of Adora’s phone ringing. “I should probably take that, it could be important,” Adora says before stepping away from the stove to answer her cell phone.

“Hello?” she speaks into the receiver.

_“Adora? We have some not-so-great news,”_ Bow says on the other end of the line.

That makes Adora’s stomach twist itself in knots. “What kind of bad news?”

_“Well, apparently, the police here doubled down on looking for Catra. And now…? They’re also looking for you.”_

Adora’s heart sinks. “Wait, what? They’re looking for _me_ now?”

_“Yes, they came into the store this morning and asked for you, but don’t panic! Me and Glimmer didn’t tell them anything, and nobody else knows where you are, so I’m pretty sure you’re safe for now. Just don’t come back here anytime soon, until this blows over.”_

For a few seconds, Adora has no idea what to say. They’re obviously getting more desperate. “…Thanks for letting me know, Bow. I gotta think about some things.”

_“Okay. We’ll keep in touch. Be safe.”_

Adora hangs up the phone and sighs. Catra’s ears perk up. “That doesn’t sound like a good sign.”

“It’s not. They’re looking for both of us now, and by the sound of it, they aren’t gonna stop anytime soon. We should probably start coming up with a plan,” Adora suggests, leaning against the counter top.

Catra thinks for a few seconds. Her mind goes back to what Shadow Weaver said. “In that case… we should probably consider checking out that pub.”

Adora nods. “Yeah. We’re kind of running out of options at this point.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda sorta break chapter, before it starts getting crazy again. ;)
> 
> Also, to this day, my one and only criticism of She-Ra is that they didn't take advantage of AJ's singing voice enough. Like... the potential they had for that T-T hopefully that'll change if we ever get a movie.


	14. The Cure

A tense silence fills the living room for the longest time. Adora and Catra sit on the couch, the two of them thinking about what to do next. Catra is especially troubled; even in death, it isn’t too low for Shadow Weaver to try and make her life miserable. It still doesn’t make sense to her, why Shadow Weaver would try to help her, especially if she’s also helping a human. The Shadow Weaver Catra knew would be caught dead doing that. Well, she guesses she technically did. Either way, Catra can’t shake the pit in her gut. “I don’t like it. I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Catra finally speaks up.

A sigh escapes Adora. She knows that it must be hard for Catra, and she must be dealing with some complex emotions. But this is getting serious. She feels like they need to take some kind of action. “I get what you mean, but… what else are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, I just-” Catra runs her fingers through her hair in frustration. Hasn’t she already dragged Adora into enough of her trouble? She thinks of something. “I could go on my own. Even if it can help us, that place is probably shady as fuck. I don’t want to risk you getting hurt,” she brings up.

“Absolutely not. Need I remind you that you’re still recovering from a _bullet wound_?” Adora protests, sitting up straight and giving Catra a stern look. “I told you I can handle myself. If it’ll make you feel better, I can bring the pistol, but if we’re going, we’re going together.”

Catra sighs. She should’ve expected that. “Honestly, you’re probably the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

“You better get used to it, cuz that’s not changing anytime soon,” Adora insists, though her tone is soft.

 _Damn Adora and her heroism or whatever_ , Catra thinks as she sinks back into the pillow’s cushions. No matter how Catra feels about it, there’s just no stopping the blonde once her mind is on something. “Okay. Bring the gun. But if there’s trouble, use it as a last resort. Run first, fight last. Even with a weapon like that, creatures like me are relentless when they’re pissed off. They won’t stop until you go down,” Catra explains with a serious tone. “Believe me. I know from experience.”

That last part makes Adora feel ice in her veins. To say it was upsetting to think about how Catra had to live like that would be an understatement. She feels her expression harden in determination. This is what they’re fighting for. A better life, so Catra won’t ever have to get hurt, or be hunted down by one of those creatures ever again. “Alright. I promise to be careful. As long as you do, too,” Adora says as she scoots closer to the other woman.

It’s frustrating to Catra, to not be able to shift. She hates being careful. It isn’t her style, not in the slightest. But for Adora, she’ll tolerate it for a while. “Fine. I guess I don’t have a choice,” she muses, her lips curling up slightly in a reassuring smile.

Adora returns it, before leaning in and brushing a gentle kiss on Catra’s cheek. “Thank you. Now we just have to find where this ‘Cactus Pub’ is,” she goes on, before pulling out her phone to look it up.

…

It is early in the evening when they decide to leave. When Catra goes to tell Scorpia, she stops them. “Before you leave, I should tell you that Perfuma wanted me to attend the drum circle she’s hosting tonight,” Scorpia explains as she takes out a house key from a drawer. “So I won’t be here to let you guys back in. Take this, and I should be back tomorrow afternoon.”

Catra hesitantly takes it, her eyebrow raised. “What’s a drum circle? I have never heard of that.”

“Y’know, I’m not entirely sure. I assume it’s got somethin’ to do with drums, and circles, since it’s in the name and all. Whatever it is, I have to be a supportive girlfriend!” Scorpia exclaims with an enthusiastic grin.

“Right. Have fun with that, I guess.”

“I’ll do my best! You two enjoy your date!”

Catra blushes, before saying, “It’s not a-“

“Thank you, Scorpia!” Adora interrupts as she takes Catra’s hand. “For everything. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Catra gives her a look, but she doesn’t say anything else. They continue to say their farewells, and Adora leads them to the truck.

It takes them a fair amount of time, and a little frustration navigating the busier parts of the city. The truck soon stops at the front of a small, shady looking building. “Is… is this it?” Adora asks, squinting her eyes as she takes a closer look at the building. The brick walls at the front appear to almost be falling apart. A crude neon sign hangs over the doorway. The words ‘The Cactus Pub’ flicker in bright green letters, as well as the saguaro next to it.

“Your phone says we’re here. Let’s check it out,” Catra states as she opens the passenger door and steps out into the almost empty lot. Adora follows, and they make their way to the front door.

As soon as the door opens, Catra is hit by a cocktail of smells. Most of them are _rancid_. The various scents of cheap alcohol and cigarette smoke, along with the challenging mixture of several were-creatures reek in the hot, stuffy bar. Catra has to hold back a gag as she begrudgingly steps inside. The door closes behind them, and as it turns out, the men in the bar also notice them. Mostly, they turn to Adora. Some of the men give her hard stares. Some even dare to snarl. Catra sees this, and glares daggers right back. Adora instinctively feels the hidden pistol through the fabric of her light jacket.

Through the watching crowd, the two women make their way to the bar. Someone with long, blonde hair is serving two other women; Catra is able to pick up traces of goat and reptile. She sits at a stool a few seats away from them, and Adora sits next to her on the other side.

The bartender looks over to them. “I’ll be right with you two, just give me a sec,” they say as they take a tray of glasses and disappear into the back room.

The woman on the other side of the bar gives Catra a look. Catra has to hold back the urge to snap at her to keep her eyes to herself. The lady slides off of her stool and steps over to Catra. “Haven’t seen you around here before. You got some nerve, bringing one of _them_ in here,” she starts, and nods over to Adora with disapproval.

“Nobody likes a mosquito, goat-face. Mind your own business,” Catra retorts, not even looking at her.

Adora nudges her shoulder. “Don’t start trouble,” she hisses.

“It’d do ya good to listen to your friend, _kitty_ ,” the woman snaps, “even though we don’t like outsiders like her around here. Just a word of advice.”

Catra rolls her eyes and finally looks up at her. “Trust me, we’re good. We just want to get our drinks and go,” she lies.

The woman scoffs. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya, kid. The next person you run into won’t be as friendly,” she growls, and goes back to her seat.

The bartender returns from the back room. “Thank you for your patience. What can I get for you ladies tonight?” they ask as they lean on the counter.

She can smell more reptile on the bartender. _Is everyone here a shifter?_ Catra thinks to herself. “Actually, we’re not here for drinks,” Catra starts in a low voice, leaning over the counter. “We’re… friends of Shadow Weaver. She told us to come here for information.”

That seems to surprise them- their eyes go wide, and they take a step back. “Shadow Weaver, huh? She must not be that great of a friend, if she sent you to a place like this. How’s she holding up?” they ask, though they don’t sound very interested.

Catra feels her ears flatten against the bandana. “I’m afraid she died,” she admits quietly.

“Sorry to hear that. She was quite the regular customer, but that was a long time ago.”

“It’s whatever. We just want to know anything you can tell us about The Horde,” Catra changes the subject, feeling a little desperate to get out of this place.

A sly smile creeps across the bartender’s face. “Oh yeah, I know about The Horde. It’s a shame I only give information to paying customers,” they muse as they examine their fingernails.

Catra and Adora look at each other. “Ugh, fine. We’ll take some drinks,” Catra hisses.

“That’s the spirit! What’ll it be?” the bartender asks enthusiastically.

 _Damn. What do people get at bars? Beer?_ Catra thinks to herself and looks over to Adora.

“Umm… I guess I’ll take a screwdriver,” Adora orders eventually.

 _A screwdriver?! What the fuck is that? I thought this was a bar, not a hardware store._ “I’ll, uhh… have the same,” Catra eventually says, more curious than anything.

The glass Catra receives is filled with an orange liquid. She reluctantly brings the glass up to her lips before taking a sip. As soon as the drink is in her mouth, she immediately wants to spit it back out. Catra swallows it, however, and the alcohol burns uncomfortably down her throat. _That’s disgusting. How do people drink this shit?_

“Okay,” Catra speaks up as she puts down the glass, “we got our drinks. Can we get that information now?”

The bartender smirks. “A deal’s a deal. My name’s Double Trouble, and I’ve been running this bar for a long time. Back when I first started, a few wolves in men’s clothing were regulars here. Like most wolves, they were a pack, and they had a leader,” Double Trouble begins to explain. “They went by The Horde, and they call their Alpha ‘Horde Prime.’ Psh, how arrogant do you have to be to call yourself ‘Prime?’ Like, insecurity much?”

“Wait, they used to be here? How did they end up as cops then?” Adora chimes in.

Double Trouble’s smile fades. “Apparently Prime has an unquenchable thirst for territory. He tried to take this place over, but there’s just no controlling Crimson City. Everyone here’s too wild. He and his gang of dogs were driven away by everyone else. Rumor is they decided on starting out smaller, over at small town Brightmoon. I’m certainly impressed the police force there allowed Prime to climb the ranks as much as he did. Once he was on top, he fired everyone else and had his pack take over. The rest is history.”

“So how do we stop them?” Catra asks, feeling her patience thin.

A loud, drawn-out laugh escapes Double Trouble’s throat. “Oh, honey, there’s no ‘stopping’ The Horde. Believe me, people have tried. The only reason we were able to kick them out of the city was because they were nothing but a couple of gangsters back then,” they continue, wiping a tear of laughter from their eye. “But now, they’re armed and powerful. Not many who cross them live to tell about it.”

Adora begins to feel twinges of desperation. “But… but there has to be a way. That’s our home! I can’t just let them hunt us down,” she protests.

Double Trouble glances at the blonde. “It’s unlike a shifter to meddle in human affairs. You really pissed them off, didn’t you, sweetheart?”

Catra has to concentrate to keep herself from bristling up at the nickname they used. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, but she’s feeling weirdly possessive. “It was me, actually,” Catra speaks up. “I didn’t know that town was their territory. And I kind of… messed their Beta up.”

“Wow,” Double Trouble interjects. “I’m impressed! No wonder they’re after you. I bet Prime threw a hissy fit after he found out his prized warrior was bested by a stray cat and her human.” They take notice of Adora’s face falling. Double Trouble looks down thinks for a moment. “Okay, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I’m going to anyway. There’s a rumor floating around that a couple of werewolf hunters in the city are planning an attack on The Horde. If you can find them, then they might be able to help you out.”

That makes both Adora and Catra look up at them in surprise. “Werewolf hunters?” Catra questions.

“Shh! Keep your voice down!” Double Trouble hisses and leans closer to them. “You didn’t hear it from me. And if I find out that either of you told them about this place, I will tell _everyone_. Then, you’ll have bigger problems than The Horde to worry about,” they warn quietly.

Adora tilts her head, feeling a little confused. “How do we find them?”

Double Trouble shrugs. “I’m afraid that’s where my advice ends. That’s up for you to decide. I will say,” they begin, a smirk creeping on their face as they look at Catra. “You do have the perfect bait for them to take.”

Adora’s stomach flips at the implication. Yeah, there’s no way either of them were doing that. Even if Catra was able to shift, she wouldn’t- that thought is interrupted by a realization. “Oh! One more thing,” Adora says suddenly. “Um…” she pauses to look at Catra. “They had silver bullets on them. Do you know what to do if we get shot?”

“Hmm… that is a problem. If a shifter comes into contact with silver, then it throws their entire system off balance. It usually takes weeks to recover, and it gets worse before it gets better,” Double Trouble explains.

“Weeks?! We don’t have weeks,” Catra growls.

“Easy there, kitten. There’s a medicine that some of my customers come in for. Put it on, and you should be good to go again in a day or two,” Double Trouble continues, before their eyes narrow. “I must warn you, though. It’s not cheap.”

“How ‘not cheap’ is it?” Adora asks, her face serious.

Double Trouble’s lips curl up in a toothy grin. “Try a hundred and fifty dollars not cheap.”

Catra groans. “Forget it. Let’s just get out of here,” she says as she gets off of her stool, but Adora takes out her wallet and places a stack of twenty-dollar bills on the counter.

“We’ll take it,” she says with a determined expression.

Catra’s eyes widen in shock. “What are you doing?! We don’t need it!” she tries to protest, but Adora is steadfast.

“I knew there was something I liked about you, darling! I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere,” Double Trouble announces gleefully and goes to the back room.

“Please, Adora, think about this. I’ll be fine. I’m tough, I can take it. You don’t have a job anymore, remember? We can’t afford to waste money on stuff we don’t need,” Catra tries to convince the blonde, stepping close to her and gripping her arm.

Adora opens her mouth to say something in response, before Double Trouble reappears from the back room with a small, crude looking tube of ointment in their hand. “Apply it to the wounded area and let it sit for a few minutes, and you should be good to go,” they explain as they hand the tube to Adora.

She takes it and puts it in her pocket. “Thanks, Double Trouble.”

“The pleasure’s all mine. Good luck out there, ladies,” they say before walking away to serve someone else.

Catra gently tugs on Adora’s arm. “Can we leave now? This place is the pits,” she grumbles, before she suddenly bristles up. She smells something familiar. Someone’s looking in their direction. Catra looks for the scent in the dimly lit building, until her eyes latch onto a man with dark blue hair and red eyes glaring at them.

The man gets up from the table and stumbles over to them, obviously drunk. “ _You two_ ,” he growls as he gets close to the two women. Catra instinctively steps between him and Adora, who reaches for the gun in her belt, just in case. The man just stares down at Catra with pure hatred in his eyes. “You are the pathetic whelps who took everything from me!” he snarls.

“Yeah, well, you fucking attacked us. We both did what we had to do to survive. You lost, get over it,” Catra argues, crossing her arms.

He scoffs. “I lost a lot more than just the fight, thanks to you wretched women. Do you know what Horde Prime did to me when I came back to his side empty handed?” he goes on, his voice quivering with emotion, and Catra can’t tell if it’s in anger or sorrow. “I did everything for him, and he cast me out! Exiled, cursed to roam this earth on my own! To a wolf, that is a sentence worse than death!”

Normally, Catra might feel a twinge of sympathy. But this man cut her chest open and tried to kill Adora. Needless to say, she isn’t sorry about what she did.

But for some strange reason, Adora steps up. “Listen. I’m sorry about what I did to you. But she’s right, we were just protecting ourselves. I don’t regret defending us.”

The man looks like he wants to argue further, but his body slumps. “Ugh. What is the point anymore? Fighting with you two will not bring me back to my pack. Just get out of my sight,” he says before he begins to turn to go back to his table.

But Adora suddenly gets an idea. “Wait,” she says, and the man turns around to give her a glare. “What if… what if we helped you? The Horde drove us out of our home, too. Maybe we could work together to take it back?” she suggests meekly.

At that, the man only laughs, loud and harsh. “A noble offer. But it is no use. Horde Prime is too powerful, he wouldn’t let that happen.”

“We don’t know unless we try! Honestly, you said everything was taken from you. Do you really have anything to lose?” Adora presses on, taking a step closer to the man.

His face twists in confusion. “You fools do not know what you are up against. You think fighting me was hard? Horde Prime is an _Alpha_. He is the strongest of us all, a relentless warrior of the night. He would kill you both before either of you had the time to process what was happening.”

“That’s why we have to work together,” Adora continues, not wanting to give up. It’s too late to back out now. “We have to try. Please, just… think about it?”

Eventually, the man’s face loses some of its hardness. He looks down, and back up at Adora. “I… I will consider your offer. Do _not_ think that this means I am agreeing to it.”

The blonde gives him a smile. “Thank you. What’s your name?”

The man scoffs again. “We do not have names. That is a privilege reserved for Prime only. We are simply The Horde, nothing more, nothing less.”

Catra laughs flatly. “You might wanna think on that one, Wolfy. You’re not exactly in The Horde anymore.”

He growls at Catra, showing his teeth. “You are not doing a great job at convincing me to work with you, _cat_. Leave me be, I need to think,” he snaps before storming back over to his table.

Despite the tense event that just unfolded, Adora giggles. “Real smooth, Catra.”

The brunette rolls her eyes. “Let’s just leave, the fucking cigarette smoke in here is giving me a headache,” Catra complains before taking Adora by the arm and dragging her out of the building.

Once they’re in the truck, Adora turns to Catra with a lopsided grin. “Good thing nobody picked a fight with us. Well, that one lady at the bar and the werewolf were kind of jerks, but at least no fists flew,” she says, trying to lighten the mood.

Catra is just staring out the window. She doesn’t even look back at Adora. “Yeah,” she replies, her voice flat.

Her response makes Adora’s heart sink. _Is she… mad at me?_ “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asks, placing a gentle hand on Catra’s shoulder.

And Catra finally looks at her, eyebrows furrowed and eyes watery. “You know damn well that the medicine could’ve been a scam. Even if it isn’t, it’s way too expensive. Don’t waste that kind of money on me!” Catra blurts out. Her fists clench and her sharp nails dig into the palm of her hands as she does her best not to let the tears slip.

“Catra…” Adora starts, not taking her hand away. “You heard what Double Trouble said, about it getting worse before it gets better. They sound like they know what they’re talking about. I don’t care how expensive it is, or even if it’s a scam. If there’s even a chance it’ll help you, then to me, it’s worth it,” she insists, but her voice is soft, as she tries to not raise the tension of the conversation.

Those words seem to strike something in Catra. Her face softens, before she turns back to the window. She doesn’t want to face Adora if she ends up crying.

Adora only gently rubs her thumb against Catra’s shoulder, before pulling back to start the truck. The drive back to Scorpia’s apartment is dead silent. She is able to find the apartment complex easily enough this time. They walk through the front door, and surely enough, the apartment is empty. Adora takes the tube of ointment from her pocket. “Do you… want me to look at it?” Adora asks, feeling suddenly shy. Catra only gives her a slight nod, before going to their bedroom. The blonde takes a deep breath before following her.

When she walks into the bedroom, Catra is in the middle of taking off her shirt- her bandana is already off and sitting on the edge of the bed. Once the shirt is off, it joins the red fabric. Catra then sits on the bed, avoiding Adora’s gaze and crossing her arms. She doesn’t know why she suddenly feels so self-conscious, this isn’t her first time being topless in front of Adora.

After picking up a water bottle and a towel, Adora walks up to Catra. She wets the towel before running it over the tape to make taking them off easier. She carefully peels off the bandage, exposing the bullet wound. It’s still inflamed, and very red- she prays to whatever’s listening that the medicine works. She unscrews the cap of the tube, before putting some on her finger. She looks up at Catra, who’s still looking away from her, before she carefully applies the medicine to Catra’s injury.

At first, Catra hisses, before it slowly subsides. Surprisingly, Catra feels instant relief once the pain from the contact dies out. She feels herself relax.

Adora pulls away once the wound is completely covered with the medicine. “How does that feel?” she asks in a soft, careful voice.

“I… I think it’s working,” Catra admits, her ears drooping in shame. She feels like she has to say something, anything to break the tension. “Look, Adora, I… I’m sorry I got mad at you. I just-“ she pauses, feeling the tears threatening to come back. _God damn you, stupid emotions_. “I feel like I don’t deserve it. All of this. You’ve been so damn _perfect_ to me, and I can’t wrap my head around it,” she confesses.

“Catra,” Adora begins softly, tilting Catra’s chin up. “Please look at me.” Catra obeys. Adora’s eyes are staring into her, filled to the brim with care and love. “I meant it when I said that it’s worth it to me. You’re worth it. Always. No matter what happens, with this, or The Horde, I am always going to do whatever I can to help you. Because I love you, Catra. I love you so much. You mean everything to me, more than any money ever could,” Adora affirms, and gently presses her forehead against Catra’s

The dam breaks. Catra feels a small sob in her throat, and her hands fly up to the sides of Adora’s face as she soaks up the affection she’s being blessed with. “Thanks…” Catra breathes out. It sounds sort of lame to her, but that’s all she can manage to say in the tenderness of the moment. “Love you.”

The giggle Adora lets out puts Catra at ease, if only slightly. “I think we’re gonna be okay. We got a plan now. That’s more than we had this morning, right?” she says in an attempt to bring the spirits up.

“Yeah. Always the optimist, aren’t you?” Catra says as she pulls her head back, but keeps a hand on the blonde’s face. Adora smiles, before holding Catra’s hand there and kissing her palm. Catra’s heart melts right then and there. “God. What did I do to deserve you?” she asks, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. As if she could get any more vulnerable.

“Just by being you, Catra. I love everything about you,” Adora admits.

Catra chuckles. “Sorry if it takes a lot of convincing.”

A playful glint appears in Adora’s eyes. “Why don’t I show you, then?” she asks, her tone low and husky.

Her tone makes Catra’s eyes darken and her heart throb. She wraps her arms around the blonde’s shoulders and smiles up at her.

“I think I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn these lesbians sure do cry a lot   
> Anyway, I think we all know where this is going.


	15. Tastes Like Oranges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING- here it is folks, the smut chapter. That's literally all there is. Expect lots of fluffy, fluffy NSFW. It's entirely skippable though, so if that isn't something you're into, give this chapter a miss and the next one'll be up in a few days.

Catra doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of kissing Adora. The way their lips meet with an incredible softness is just so damn addicting, and their first real kiss of the night is no exception. Adora sneaks her arms around Catra’s waist and pulls her close, her tongue brushing over Catra’s bottom lip. It’s a silent question that’s eagerly answered when Catra’s lips part. The kiss immediately deepens, and Catra moans into it. It’s an incredibly embarrassing sound, and she’d probably get flustered up if she wasn’t so into what’s happening. Adora tastes like alcohol and oranges, probably from the drinks they had earlier. Normally the taste of alcohol would be a turn-off for Catra, but with Adora, it seems to be doing just the opposite.

_Should I be scared that she has this effect on me? …Nah, I have more important things to think about._ Catra’s hands move up to Adora’s ponytail- she couldn’t help it, her hair is just so fun to play with- and she gently tugs at the tie, freeing the soft, blonde locks. Adora sighs as her hand slides up Catra’s sides, causing her to shiver underneath them. Her hands are so warm on Catra’s skin; it draws out a purr from her. They pull away for air.

Panting, Catra’s pupils are blown. “Is this really happening?” she breathes out dumbly, her face a deep shade of scarlet.

Adora’s hand finds Catra’s cheek. “Only if you want it to,” she replies quietly, rubbing Catra’s face with her thumb.

“ _God_ , yes,” Catra says before pulling Adora back in, hungry for more of her. She wants it all. Anything Adora would give her, she wants.

A satisfied hum comes from Adora at the enthusiastic consent. She’s going to deliver. Her hands trail up Catra’s back and brush over the clasp of her bra. “Want this off?” she asks between heavy kisses.

Catra chuckles into her mouth before she pulls away. “Not until your shirt is.”

That’s fair. Adora blushes slightly and nods. With the help of Catra, she pulls it over her head. Catra leans back to admire the view, and her eyes go wide. “Holy shit,” she whispers as she brushes her hand over Adora’s abs, that flex slightly under her touch. “You’re fucking _jacked_.”

The blonde laughs breathily. “Yup. A year in the army’ll do that to ya.”

Damn. How is Catra only seeing this _now_? It’s almost not fair to her. She smirks up at the blonde. “Well, a promise is a promise,” she states before reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. The black strips come over her arms, and the bra falls to the floor.

For the first time, Adora lets herself look. She’s seen Catra like this before, but she always did her best to avoid staring, out of respect for Catra. But now, Adora’s allowed to take it all in. Every curve, every freckle, every scar. It’s all breathtaking.

Noticing Adora’s staring, Catra smiles awkwardly. “See something you like, princess?” she jokes, mostly to calm her thundering heartbeat.

Adora chuckles as she leans in. “What do you think?” she says lowly before capturing Catra’s lips again. Her mouth doesn’t stay there long, however, and she starts kissing her way down Catra’s chin, down her neck, and to her collarbone. Catra revels in it, but notices a pause. She looks down and sees Adora’s eyes set on her chest- where her scars are.

A short huff comes from Catra as she goes to cover them with her hand. “You don’t gotta focus on the ugly parts,” she mutters, feeling a little self-conscious.

“They’re not ugly,” Adora deflects. Her blue eyes drift up to meet Catra’s. “The reason behind them is, sure. But nothing about _you_ is ugly, Catra,” she continues, her fingers brushing over the raised marks. Catra gets goosebumps.

“I get that you’re into me and all, but you don’t have to go that far,” Catra teases, but she takes her own hand away from them.

Adora’s eyes soften. “I mean it.” She leans in and plants a lingering kiss on the middle mark, the largest of them. “If you think about it, they’re kinda how we got started. We wouldn’t be together if it weren’t for these scars, y’know?” Adora says when she pulls back, giving Catra a cheeky smile.

Catra responds with a short laugh. “There you go, being corny again.” Adora pouts- Catra loves it when she does that, it’s so adorable. She cups Adora’s cheek. “Thank you, though. It’s also really sweet,” Catra admits.

The next smile Adora gives her is warm, appreciative. Her lips return to Catra’s skin, starting where she left off. Catra is gently pushed down against the pillows, with Adora over her, kissing her way down to the area between her breasts. Adora’s hand glides up to one of them, and she gently massages, feeling its softness beneath her fingertips. It makes Catra melt. The way Adora touches her sends sparks through her veins, she can’t get enough of it. The trail of kisses continues over to Catra’s other breast. Catra’s breath hitches as Adora licks at her nipple, before sealing her lips around it and sucking.

Catra cries out and arches into it. It sends fire straight to her core. “F-fuck me,” she groans out, subtly rubbing her thighs together to try and ease the new desire for friction.

Adora chortles lowly against her, and God, if that isn’t the hottest thing Catra’s ever heard. “That’s kind of the idea,” she teases as she pulls away.

“Shut up and touch me more,” Catra shoots back, though her tone is playful with hints of arousal.

The request is happily fulfilled, and Adora eagerly returns to Catra’s breasts. After a few moments of sucking and massaging, Adora comes back up to kiss Catra properly again as her hand continues to travel south. Catra kisses back with intense passion, sucking Adora’s tongue into her mouth, causing her to gasp. It makes Catra feel immense satisfaction. Adora’s hand reaches the waistband of her pants, and tugs on them slightly as she pulls away. “Can I take this off?”

Catra gives her a smug smile. “Sure, but I do believe another trade is in order.”

The blonde clicks her tongue. She can’t argue with that. “Alright. Take what you want.”

That sounds good to Catra. She reaches around Adora’s back and unhooks her bra, before pulling it over her shoulders and down her arms. And _fuck_. If Adora’s abs were a sight, her tits were just as good, if not better. Catra sits back and takes it all in. “So fucking gorgeous,” she breathes as her hand trails up Adora’s side.

The compliment makes Adora blush and smile. “C’mon, your turn,” she says as she grasps Catra’s waistband. Catra obeys, lifting her hips to let Adora slide her pants down her legs. They come off and join the pile on the floor. Looking at Catra in nothing but underwear makes Adora begin to feel nervous. She really, really doesn’t want to mess this up. “So, um…” Adora clears her throat awkwardly. “I err… I should say that I’ve never really done anything like this before, so… tell me if what I’m doing feels good, or not?”

Catra’s eyes widen, before she chuckles. “For real? I figured girls would be all over you, with a body like yours.”

“I mean, maybe a little,” Adora admits. “But I never had time for stuff like that. I was too focused on schoolwork, and I immediately went into the military after college, so dating and that stuff wasn’t really an option for me.” _Ugh, I was doing so good until now. Where’s all these nerves coming from?_

Her thoughts are interrupted by Catra taking her hand and lacing her fingers. “Hey. I’m right there with you, okay?” Catra starts. It’s the truth- Catra always had a hard time making friends. So naturally, dating wasn’t something that even occurred to her before meeting Adora. “We’ll be figuring things out together. I’ll let you know if you do something I like.”

Adora appreciates Catra’s reassurance. She gives her hand a gentle squeeze before withdrawing to take the underwear off. The fabric slides down, and Catra is officially exposed. She swallows thickly; Adora can see everything now, and Catra doesn’t know if that makes her anxious or excited. Maybe a little mix of both. Adora only looks down, and back up into her eyes with awe. “You’re beautiful,” she praises softly.

That mushy stuff’s making Catra’s insides flip. Her face heats up and she feels the need to hide. What is she even supposed to say in moments like these? Luckily, Adora leans back in for more kisses, which relieves Catra. At least she isn’t staring anymore. Adora’s hand brushes down Catra’s stomach and hovers between her thighs, and Catra whines in anticipation. Finally, Adora’s fingers brush through her folds, feeling the slickness. “Oh, _shit_ ,” Catra mewls as her legs wrap around the blonde, keeping her in place.

_Wow. She’s really wet,_ Adora thinks to herself, feeling the slightest twinges of pride- she was able to do that to her. She pulls away to observe Catra’s reaction. Multicolored eyes stare up into her own, heavy with lust and pleading. Adora’s heart skips a beat. At that moment, nothing else in the entire world matters more to her than making Catra feel good. Her fingers continue to explore through Catra’s heat, and they soon brush over a spot that makes her legs twitch. Determined, Adora circles over it with two fingers, and Catra’s face twists. “Nghh-!” Her eyebrows knit, and Adora assumes it’s from pleasure, before Catra grips her wrist, stilling it. “W-wait a second,” she stutters.

Was she doing something wrong? “What’s the matter?” Adora asks with a worried expression. “Does it hurt?”

“Oh, n-no! It’s not that,” Catra looks away and blushes. “It’s just… a little too much?”

_Oh. Okay. Then what if I try_ … Adora rubs around it, rather than directly. She assumes that it’s the right move, because Catra throws her head back and moans. “Fuuck, that’s good,” she gasps out as she lightly scrapes her nails down Adora’s back. A steady pressure starts building up below Catra’s stomach. Soon, waves of hot pleasure start to spread through her. “Mmmh, _Adora_ …” Unable to hold back anymore, Adora leans in to kiss Catra’s neck as she continues to work around her clit. The hot pleasure continues to build up, before it fades. Catra whines. “Adora, I-I think I want… more,” Catra mewls. _Ugh, I sound so embarrassing…_

Thankfully, Adora seems to understand. She hums lowly against Catra’s throat. Adora feels her way down, towards the opening. She brushes over it, experimentally, and Catra’s eyes screw shut. Slowly, Adora pushes her middle finger inside, and Catra squeaks in surprise, before moaning breathily. Adora’s finger curls up and she pushes against Catra’s front wall, and Catra nearly sobs. “Oh, _fuck_ -!” Her tail thrashes and her fingers dig further into Adora’s back. She bites her lip to attempt to keep more moans from escaping- she knows they’d be loud. It’s futile, however, when Adora adds another finger. Catra’s jaw drops and she cries out.

“Good?” Adora asks, a little concerned.

“ _Yes_ \- ahhn… _please_ , don’t stop!”

Adora continues, soon finding a particular spot that makes Catra’s hips jerk. She decides to focus on it, pressing up and dragging her fingers across it in a steady rhythm. Catra’s breathing becomes uneven and ragged. Adora can tell that she’s getting close. She brushes her thumb over her clit, and that’s all Catra needs to be pushed over the edge. Catra’s mouth hangs open, her hips bucking as Adora’s pace slows, helping her ride out her orgasm. Catra’s hands fly to the sides of Adora’s face, before dragging her into a rough kiss. Adora’s eyebrows raise in surprise, but she kisses back with equal passion. Eventually, Adora pulls her head back to rest her forehead on Catra’s.

A few seconds of Catra trying to catch her breath passes. Adora looks down at her with a wide, dopey grin that is, at this point, all too familiar to Catra. “Sooo, how’d I do?” she asks, her voice smug.

Catra gives her a tired laugh. “I feel like I just shifted,” she giggles, her voice raspy. “But like… in a good way.”

Adora smiles and goes back in for another kiss, this one soft and slow. When she pulls back, she can see a mischievous glint in Catra’s eyes. “Your turn,” she announces as she sits up.

“O-oh, um… don’t worry about it, I’m good,” Adora lies.

Catra gives her a look. “Yeah, that’s not gonna work on me, princess.”

“No really, it’s fine, I…” Adora looks down shyly. “I don’t want to make you feel like you have to. I’ve kind of thought about this before, and I never really considered…” Adora blushes. “…receiving.”

A soft laugh fills the air. Catra looks up at her fondly. “You’re such a dummy. Did you seriously forget that I’m a werecat?” Her eyes darken, before her tone gets low and sultry. “I can smell you, Adora,” she starts, and flips them over, so she’s on top. Adora gulps. “If you really don’t want to, then I won’t push you. But I want you,” she whispers, placing an open-mouthed kiss on Adora’s neck, causing her to gasp. The scent of her arousal gets stronger. “I want to make you feel good.” _I want to taste you._

That convinces Adora. Truthfully, she didn’t need a lot of convincing. “Mmm… okay,” Adora says as she watches Catra kiss down her neck.

Catra looks up at her with caring eyes. “Do you want it?”

_She’s really gonna make me say it?_ Adora thinks with a blush. She gives her a small nod. “Y-yeah. I do.”

Catra smiles. “Good girl.”

Her hands explore the front of Adora’s exposed torso, feeling her abs and brushing up right beneath her breasts. Adora exhales shakily. Catra’s lips continue their trail downwards, over her collarbone and chest. Another gasp escapes Adora. It feels so much better than she ever imagined. “Please, Catra…” she mutters, her hand coming up to stroke her hair and scratch the base of her ear.

“Look at you,” Catra purrs, her mouth now hovering over one of Adora’s breasts. Adora can feel her hot breath, and it sends shivers down her spine. “So needy for me,” she teases before taking her nipple into her mouth.

It sends electricity through Adora, and she throbs. “W-wowza,” she blurts out.

The sensation suddenly stops. Catra looks up at her with a dumbfounded expression, and she fails to hold back a snicker. “Oh my _God_.”

Adora goes scarlet. “Oh no…” she whines as she covers her face with her hands, embarrassed.

“Did you seriously just say _wowza_ while I was sucking on your tits?” Catra laughs.

“I’m sorry! I really am, it just slipped out!” Adora defends herself, slightly muffled as she’s still hiding behind her hands. “It just felt so good, a-and I wasn’t thinking straight. Sorry if I killed the mood…” she continues, looking up and giving Catra an apologetic look.

Catra gives her a fond smile. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She pushes herself back up to give Adora a soft kiss on the lips. Truthfully, Catra doesn’t think anything Adora could do would ‘kill’ the mood. Especially being her sweet, dorky self. Catra pulls back and boops their noses together. “My gorgeous dork.”

The sweetness puts Adora at ease. She giggles, still a little flustered. If she wasn’t already head over heels for Catra, she’d definitely be now.

It doesn’t take long for the hunger to return in Catra’s eyes. “Take these off?” she asks, gesturing to Adora’s pants.

“Oh! Right,” Adora mutters before awkwardly sliding them down her legs, underwear and all, before kicking them off. Catra looks up at her with amusement.

“Eager, aren’t we?” Catra jabs.

Adora rolls her eyes. “Shush. This was your idea,” she shoots back, though her tone is playful.

Catra takes back her place, over the blonde and between her legs. Adora begins to feel anxious, being completely naked in front of Catra for the first time. She isn’t given that much time to be nervous. Catra gives her one last quick kiss on the mouth, before sliding back down her body. She plants kisses over Adora’s stomach on her way down. Eventually, she pauses over Adora’s center. Adora’s arousal hangs heavy in the air, and Catra swears she could get drunk on it- it’s that intoxicating.

Her mouth waters as her eyes flick up to meet Adora’s. Blue, half lidded eyes gaze back at her, and Adora’s quivering in anticipation. Catra chuckles; she doesn’t want to keep her waiting too long. So, she dives in, and drags her tongue up through Adora’s heat in a slow, broad swipe. Adora grunts and grips the bedsheets tightly. The pleasure is immediate, and intense. All of those lonely nights Adora had spent with her hand in her pants could never compare to _this_. Catra can’t hold back a soft moan of her own at Adora’s taste- it’s strong, and a little salty. And she's so goddamn _soaked._ She could get used to doing this. Catra hooks one of her arms around Adora’s thigh, and her other hand comes up to brush up against one of Adora’s clenched fists. Adora, understanding, opens her hand and intertwines their fingers. “Mmh… love you,” Adora blurts out.

Catra lets out an amused exhale. She’d say it back, but her mouth is a little occupied at the moment. Instead, she purrs as a response, and the vibrations make Adora’s head fall back with a groan. Her hand flies to Catra’s hair, grabbing a fistful of it. It’s a rough move for Adora, Catra thinks, but it doesn’t bother her in the slightest. She likes it. “I… ngh! I need more,” Adora begs through shaky moans.

_Hmm? As you wish, princess._ Catra releases her hold on Adora’s thigh before pushing a finger inside. _What did she do to make it feel so good? Was it…_ she hooks her fingers up, giving a curious press, and Adora’s hips jerk. There it is. “Oh, _fuck_!” Adora curses. “More- ahh! Please…” It surprises Catra. She doesn’t think she’s ever heard Adora swear before. It’s really fucking hot- how could Catra not obey? She slips in another finger. Catra’s thrusts are slow at first, making sure to hit the right nerves with each push. She soon finds a rhythm that makes Adora’s moans increase in pitch.

As it turns out, it’s actually kind of fucking hard. After a while, Catra’s forearm starts to burn. She wonders how the hell Adora was able to do it with such ease. Catra suddenly gets an idea, and her purr starts up again. She sticks her tongue out further, letting the rougher, back portions of her tongue brush over Adora’s clit. That’s all it takes for Adora to come. She cries out Catra’s name, and her walls clench around Catra’s fingers. Catra continues to move, but at a slower pace, allowing Adora to come down from her climax. She pulls her fingers out and gazes up at the blonde, who’s trying to catch her breath.

After a few moments, Adora smiles down at Catra, breathing still ragged and eyes half-closed. “What’re you still doing all the way down there?” she asks, gently tugging at Catra’s hand to coax her to come up and cuddle.

She gladly obliges, climbing up to rest her head in the crook of Adora’s neck. Adora tilts Catra’s head up and kisses her tenderly. Catra sighs happily into it, and her tail unconsciously wraps around Adora’s wrist. Adora pulls away and looks at Catra, eyes sparkling with afterglow. “That was… amazing,” she breathes.

Catra grins, before softly headbutting the blonde and nuzzling back into her. Adora’s skin feels amazing on her own. “Yeah, it was. I love you.”

“I love you too, Catra,” Adora responds, before pulling the covers over both of them. She thinks that this is probably the happiest she’s ever been. They can figure out their next plan tomorrow. Tonight, she just wants to be close to Catra. Like she’s the only one who matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Yep. There ya go. I never wrote anything like this before, so idk feedback would be appreciated I guess >///<  
> Also, please tell me if I should bump it up to an E rating, bc I am honestly very clueless when it comes to that stuff


	16. Step One

To Adora, waking up on her own next to Catra is one of the best feelings in the world. Her eyes open, and she is able to gaze down at the sleeping brunette, who snores softly as she’s curled up against Adora. She smiles to herself- Catra’s skin feels nice on her own. Normally, the memories of the night before would make Adora feel flustered, but right now, all she could feel was a warm, comfortable bliss. Adora thinks about doing something nice for Catra. She leans over to plant a gentle kiss on the top of Catra’s head, before carefully raising the blanket to step out of the bed and head to the kitchen to make breakfast.

As one of Adora’s feet meets the floor, she is stopped by warm arms wrapping around her waist. “You’re not going anywhere,” a sleepy voice sounds from behind the blonde.

Adora looks over her shoulder and down at Catra, her lips curved up in a fond smile. “Good morning to you too, babe. I was gonna make us some breakfast,” she whispers, but Catra’s grip doesn’t let up. “C’mon, aren’t you hungry?”

That causes Catra to look up at Adora with a playful smirk. “Nope. Had a big dinner last night.”

At the remark, Adora giggles. “Are you sure I’m the dork in this relationship?”

“Positive. Now get back down here, I want cuddles.”

“So needy,” Adora teases, but ultimately gives in to Catra’s request. She says that, but secretly, it feels really good to her, to be wanted. Adora lies back down and pulls Catra close to her. Unable to keep her hands to herself, Adora’s hands wander up to gently scritch the back of Catra’s head. She is rewarded by a content sigh, followed by a low purr.

The sweet moment is interrupted by a loud knock at the door. “That must be Scorpia. Looks like I have to get up,” Adora muses, much to Catra’s disappointment.

“Fiiine, go answer the door,” Catra grumbles as her arms retreat.

Adora chuckles as she throws on some lazy clothing. Today didn’t feel like a day that needed a sharp outfit. After she’s fully dressed, Adora walks out of the bedroom and to the front door. Catra huffs and sits up. Figures that Scorpia would be the one to drag them out of bed. Why did she have to knock so loudly? Didn’t she have her key with her? Unless…

Catra’s eyes widen in realization, before she hears a yelp coming from the living room. That’s all it takes for Catra to spring into action, throwing a loose t-shirt over her head and barely managing to pull it down over herself in time before turning the corner. A familiar man is at the door, with a very surprised Adora leaning back, away from him.

A scowl crosses the man’s face. “This is far from a warm welcome to the person whom you practically begged for help from.”

“S-sorry, I just- wasn’t expecting you to be at the door! How did you find us?” Adora stutters.

“Your scents were surprisingly easy to track,” he begins, before sniffing a little at the air. He then crinkles his nose and gives Catra a judgmental glare. “Now I can see why. It seems bonding with a human is not too low for you cats.”

Adora blushes and turns her head away, and Catra bristles up in anger. “Nothing’s too low for me. Not even gutting a lost stray dog,” she threatens, stepping in front of Adora protectively.

The man snarls. “I took time out of my day to find you two, but it appears my assistance isn’t needed,” he snaps as he starts to turn away.

“Wait!” Adora pipes up. “We’re sorry. We do need your help. We just weren’t expecting you to find us so early in the morning.”

He raises an eyebrow. “It’s noon.”

The two women look at each other. “Well, shit,” Catra responds, crossing her arms.

“Busy night last night?” The man asks as a jab, and Catra snarls and wants to retort, but bites her tongue. This man is really starting to get on her nerves. That being said, he is the only chance they have at bringing down The Horde at the moment. She holds back a bitter hiss.

“Just get to the point,” Catra settles on.

He sighs. “I have thought about your offer, and I have decided to accept, under a few conditions.”

Adora’s face lights up. “You have? What are the conditions?”

Before the man has time to respond, Catra cuts in. “That’s great, but we probably shouldn’t talk here. Scorpia could be home any minute, I don’t want her getting caught up in any of… _this,_ ” Catra says as she motions over to the grumpy looking man at their doorway.

His eyes narrow. “Very well. Meet me at my hideout this afternoon, and we will discuss our plan.” He then gives them directions, before turning to leave.

Catra wastes no time slamming the door. “This sucks. He sucks,” she complains as she leans against the wall and crosses her arms.

“Yeah, I know. He was really starting to make me uncomfortable. But he might be the only way we’ll stand a chance against Prime,” Adora agrees as she steps over to Catra. “Hopefully we won’t have to put up with him for too long. What even was his deal, anyway? Are werewolves like… homophobic or something?”

Catra laughs dryly. As if they needed another reason to suck. “It’s unlikely. Most shifters are surprisingly cool about that stuff. I’m pretty sure it’s more of a human issue, rather than a sexuality one. A lot of them are salty that they’re the ‘dominant species’ or some weird crap like that,” she explains, thinking back to the long lectures Shadow Weaver gave her about how she should never trust a human. _What a load of shit_ , Catra thinks to herself. She takes notice of Adora’s face falling, and bites the inside of her cheek. She takes one of Adora’s hands in her own. “It never really mattered to me, you know? I’m glad I fell in love with you. If Wolfy has a problem with that, he can go shove it.”

The smile Adora gives her is small. “Thanks. It doesn’t bother me all that much, but… I’m glad me being a human doesn’t matter to you.”

“Of course it doesn’t. Not all of us are that shallow, like wolf boy. He really needs to respect boundaries,” she chuckles into Adora’s shoulder.

Adora laughs as she returns the hug. She suddenly feels smug. “Look at you, being all protective over me,” she teases.

Catra just rolls her eyes. “Dork.”

…

The directions that the man gave them were somewhat difficult to follow. Ultimately, they end up in front of what appears to be a small, abandoned grocery store. The two women look at each other, before Adora steps up to the large door and gives it a knock.

It doesn’t take long for the door to open. “It’s about time you showed up,” the man growls, but steps aside.

Catra follows Adora inside, and instantly crinkles her nose. It takes a second for her eyes to adjust, but just by the smell of the place, she can tell that it’s a werewolf hideout. She is eventually able to see furs of various animals draped on the walls and floors, as well as a few piles of bones scattered here and there. “Don’t you mutts know how to clean up after yourselves?” Catra complains.

“Usually, cleaning duties are reserved for those with lower ranks. As Horde Prime’s second in command, I never had to clean up after myself,” he explains, walking over to the darkest part of the room in the corner. Larger skins, Catra assumes that they’re deer hides, are used as curtains. Despite this, a few rays of sunlight escape past the hide and into the abandoned store.

The strangeness of the den puts Adora off slightly. By now, she is used to dealing with supernatural shapeshifters and all of their mannerisms, but being in the den of a werewolf who has no doubt killed people before made the blonde uneasy, to say the least. She swallows down her doubts and steps forward. “So, we should start coming up with a plan. First of all, we really need to come up with a name for you,” Adora starts, pointing over to the man sulking in the corner.

A smirk crosses Catra’s face. “Heh, how about Hordak? Because you’re from The Horde, and every time I think about you, it makes me go ‘ _ack_ ,’” Catra suggests, imitating a crude gagging sound at the end.

“That is beyond ridiculous,” he protests with a glare.

“Well, until you come up with a better name, that’s what we’re calling you, Hordak,” Adora announces as she puts her hands on her hips.

Hordak huffs and crosses his arms. “So be it. What is your plan?”

A silence follows Hordak’s question. Adora eventually speaks up. “We don’t really… have one yet?”

A grumble sounds from Hordak’s throat. “Why am I not surprised? Luckily for you two, I have been doing some thinking, back to my time with my pack. One thing that us wolves take honor in is dueling. If a high-ranking officer of a pack is challenged to a duel, then they are usually forced to accept, to not appear cowardly. If that wolf loses the duel, then the winner is to take their rank in their place.”

“Are you suggesting that you want to challenge Horde Prime to a duel?” Catra asks.

“Yes. I am.” Hordak confirms.

Catra’s eyes narrow. “That’s a nice idea and all, but that isn’t exactly a solid plan. You said you were banished. I’m sure Prime’s goons won’t let you get close enough to even challenge him. And no offense, but are you sure you’re strong enough? Adora was able to take you down with a single shotgun blast.”

She expects Hordak to respond angrily, but his stoic expression doesn’t falter. “She only caught me off guard. But this time, I will be ready. Not many have challenged Prime before, since he is a very strong Alpha. However, in my time with him, he has foolishly shared some of his weaknesses with me. Maybe if I went up against him, I would have a chance to win and take his place as Alpha,” he continues.

After a few moments of silence, Adora speaks up. “That’s a good start, but Catra’s right. We need a plan B, in case you lose, or if you aren’t even able to get to Prime in the first place.”

In response, Hordak gives Adora a hard stare. “And what do you propose?”

Adora bites her lip. “The only idea I really have are some werewolf hunters in the city that we heard about.”

That makes Hordak’s eyes widen. “They… are still active?”

“We don’t know for sure. That’s only what we heard,” Catra responds. “We were told that they might be able to help us.”

Hordak’s expression turns to that of anger. “There is no way I am accepting help from those heathens. They are nothing but delinquent gangsters.”

“Hey, didn’t The Horde used to be a gang?” Catra challenges, earning a sharp glare from Hordak.

“That was different!” Hordak snaps. “We didn’t have a choice, we had to fight to survive! And those wretched humans sure didn’t make it easy for us. I have lost comrades at the hands of those _hunters_ ,” he bitterly explains. “And I will never forget their leader. A woman with the ability to hunt down a shifter if they show even the slightest supernatural activity. If she hadn’t harassed me and my pack for years, I would have had a great respect for her. To this day, I have no idea how she does it.”

Hordak’s rant gives Adora an idea. “If they can hunt down the slightest supernatural activity, then maybe we can bring them to us. If one of you causes an upset in the city, then they’ll try to hunt you down, and I’ll stop them before they have the chance to hurt anyone. Then I’ll explain our situation,” she starts. “I’m a human, so maybe they’ll listen to me if I ask for help.”

“Were you not listening to what I just said? They won’t help us, we are their enemy!” Hordak snaps.

“But we both have a common enemy, The Horde! And if they won’t listen to us, then we can run or fight our way out. We all have experience in combat, to… some degree,” Adora goes on, trying to hide the desperation in her voice. She curses herself- she probably sounds overly optimistic and hopeful.

“Now that I think about it, the plan isn’t that bad. It’s not like we can just go fight The Horde by ourselves,” Catra chimes in.

Hordak scoffs. “Who will be the one to cause the upset? We also have yet to discuss my conditions for helping you,” he brings up.

Adora looks back over to Hordak. “Alright, what are they then?”

The man subtly pushes himself off of the wall and stands straight, causing a slight ray of sunlight to illuminate his face. His expression is hardened. “First, when we take down Horde Prime, I want to be the new Alpha of The Horde. Second, if I happen to get shot by one of their silver bullets, I want you to promise that you will heal me with that antidote you bought at the bar. And finally, I agree to duel Horde Prime, but I need to be in mint condition for the fight. That means I need to be out of combat as much as possible, and the cat needs to take care of all of the fighting before that happens. Including being ‘bait’ for that little plan of yours.”

Catra bristles up. “What, you want me to do all of the heavy lifting for you while you sit on your ass? Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you need to train before fighting a stronger opponent like Prime?”

“Oh, you would know all about stronger opponents, wouldn’t you, _cat_?” Hordak spits as he stands up as tall as he can manage, in a threatening stance. “Don’t forget who almost brought your downfall in the woods.”

The werecat’s teeth clench in rage. “Unlike you, who relied on your mangy buddies to bring you your food and be your fucking _maids_ , I had to fight to get by. I had to catch my own meals, fight off my attackers, and clean up after myself so I wouldn’t get fucking hunted down all on my _own_ ,” Catra argues harshly, ears flattening as she fights the urge to shift.

“And yet you had to rely on your _pet_ to nurse you back to health!”

That’s the last straw. The baggy shirt suddenly feels tight against her torso as she shifts fully. Her hands fly to the collar of Hordak’s shirt as she slams him against the wall. “ _I’ve had it with you being a petty little bitch!_ ” she hisses in his face.

“Guys, calm down! This fighting isn’t helping anything,” Adora interjects. Catra flicks her ear at Adora’s request, but doesn’t let go of the man in her grasp.

“ _Let’s face it, you need us just as much as we need you. Otherwise, you don’t stand chance on your own. We agree to your terms, but I have a condition of my own_ ,” Catra starts. “ _I don’t care if your stupid ‘wolf pride’ is hurt by the fact that Adora took you down that night. But you need to start showing some goddamn respect, to BOTH of us, or I will do whatever it takes to make sure you never face Prime, or see your pack again. Do you understand_?”

Hordak only glares up at her. Catra stares him down, unrelenting. “…Fine. Now let go of me.”

Though Catra isn’t sure how sincere he is, she lets Hordak go. Though her fading rage, Catra feels a warm hand grasp her clawed paw. Her head turns to Adora’s, and their eyes meet. That alone is calming. Catra feels herself relax back into her human form. Her hand shrinks down to Adora’s size, before she holds it.

As if giving her thanks, Adora smiles. “Okay. Now, can we please come up with a plan?”

Catra sighs. “Fine. I’ll cause the upset. I’m counting on you to step in though, Adora,” she responds, and fully turns her body towards the blonde.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let them hurt you, I swear,” Adora promises. She then looks over to Hordak. “Do you remember what part of the city the hunters were the most active in?”

Hordak resumes his position in the dark corner, sulking slightly. It makes Catra want to laugh at him. “I do not remember much. However, most of the times my pack ran into them, we were patrolling on the southeast side of town.”

“That’s good enough for me. We should give it a shot,” Adora affirms.

…

After a night of planning, the group decides to take action that night. The plan is simple- Catra has to act like a raging werecat breaking into a butcher shop after closing time. She would make a scene, and hopefully catch the attention of the hunters. Hordak is to hide in the shadows and act as a scout, letting the team know of any outside activity. Adora’s job is to step in as soon as the hunters enter the building.

The three of them are currently gathered across the street from the butcher shop, at a rendezvous point. “Everyone got their walkie talkies?” Adora asks. The other two nod in confirmation. “Alright, phase one.”

As soon as Adora nods to her, Catra transforms. Once she’s fully shifted, she scans the streets, making sure the coast is clear. The werecat then quietly bounds across the street, and stands up when she reaches the window of the shop. The glass looks strong, but not strong enough to hold up against a solid blow from the werecat. Catra raises a clawed paw, before swinging it towards the glass with all her might. Her sharp claws meet the glass, which shatters under the force of the swipe.

The grazes that the shattered glass caused on Catra’s paw heals almost immediately. Catra then carefully climbs up and through the window, mindful of the shattered glass below her. Her feet meet the cool tile of the shop. Though the shop is dark, Catra can see freezers and coolers of unprepared foods surrounding her.

As Catra does that, Adora carefully sneaks around to the back of the shop. She reaches the metal door at the back side of the shop, and gives it a knock. It takes a few seconds for the door to unlock and open. “ _Be careful, and stay out of sight_ ,” Catra growls quietly before letting the blonde inside the building. Adora nods before she slips past the large werecat, and kneels down behind a stack of boxes in the shadows. She should be hidden here.

After a few minutes of waiting, tension thick in the air, Adora’s two-way radio goes off. “Be on your guard, people are coming your way,” Hordak warns through the speaker.

“Roger,” Adora responds after Catra gives her a nod, indicating that she heard.

“… _Who is this ‘Roger’ person_?” Hordak asks after a second of contemplation.

“No, it’s just how you… you know what, forget it. Just be careful,” Adora settles on before turning the device off.

Catra turns to the door, her claws flexing slightly in preparation. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to use them. After a few moments of staring at the door, it is suddenly kicked open. A very large figure enters the store. It is dark, but Catra can tell that it’s a woman who’s looking at her with a hard stare. She takes a step forward, and two more smaller women follow her. A smirk suddenly flashes on the larger woman’s face. “Looking for a midnight snack, kitty?” She taunts as she takes the shotgun from her back and lifts it. The two women behind her raise their pistols. “Why don’t you snack on some lead?”

“Wait!” Adora shouts, before running out from behind the boxes and standing in front of Catra, her arms out as if to shield her. “She won’t hurt you. We just need your help.”

The large woman scowls. “Get lost, Blondie. Kitty here’s on a rampage, that’s why it felt the need to break into a shop like this. Now scram, before you get hurt!”

Adora stands her ground. She turns her head over to Catra and nods. Catra relaxes back into her human form.

The three hunters gasp. “It listened to her!” one of them exclaims.

Anger swells in Adora’s chest. Catra is _not_ an _it_. “I told you that _she_ wasn’t going to hurt anyone. We didn’t know how else to find you.”

The leader only laughs. “You’re really on that monster’s side? Don’t you know that those things are coldblooded killers? She’s probably only being friendly to you so she can have you for breakfast when you least expect it.”

That makes an innuendo pop in Catra’s head, but she hides her smirk. This is supposed to be a serious situation.

“She wouldn’t do that, I swear!” Adora protests, her voice firm.

The woman to the leader’s right, a woman with light blue hair, narrows her eyes. “How can you be so sure about that?”

Adora sighs, before offering a small smile. She looks back at Catra, meeting her eyes. “Because I love her. And she loves me.” Catra smiles, and looks at her with adoration.

“Ha! Do you really expect us to believe that mushy crap?” The large woman interjects. However, the woman to her left, the one with purple-ish hair, lowers her weapon. Her eyes soften at the way Adora and Catra look at each other.

“Huntara… I think they’re telling the truth,” the woman speaks up.

The blue-haired woman’s jaw drops. “Are you serious Spinnerella?”

“Think about it, Netossa! That woman is a human. She wouldn’t be throwing herself in front of the werecat if she didn’t care about her,” Spinnerella explains. “We should at least hear them out.”

Netossa sighs. “Fine. I trust you,” she says before lowering her pistol.

“Ugh, what has gotten into you two?” Huntara groans, but lowers her shotgun. “Whatever. You’ve got some explaining to do, Blondie,” she says, before walking straight up to Catra. Huntara is able to tower over her, which isn’t something Catra is sure she likes. She puts up with it- not that she’s intimidated by the large woman. “But first, tell me, cat- Is there anyone else involved in this little ‘operation’ of yours?”

Catra thinks for a moment. She doesn’t want to lie to Huntara, even if she isn’t scared of her. Besides, there isn’t any harm in telling these people about Hordak. If he has a problem with it, he can just get over it. “No. A werewolf was helping us scout out the building. I can have him come in, if you want.”

Huntara’s eyes narrow. Catra only smirks- maybe the fact that she isn’t scared is getting to the larger woman. “That won’t be necessary, we already know about him.”

Adora’s eyes widen. “How did you know that? He didn’t say anything about running into you guys.”

A confident smile flashes across Netossa’s face. “You’re not the only ones who had a little outside help.”

Just then, almost as if on cue, the door opens, before a confused looking Hordak enters the room. “Can you humans get this woman off of me? She is starting to concern me.”

Following close behind the werewolf, a short girl with long purple twintails walks into the store. “This is incredible! A real Beta werewolf! I can’t believe I get to see one up close! Please answer my questions!” the woman insists as she pokes around on a fairly large piece of technology.

“Entrapta here found a way to track shifters, using their heartbeats and heat signatures. She says that they’re slightly different from regular humans,” Netossa explains as she takes Entrapta’s hand and drags her away from the brooding werewolf. Entrapta’s eyes fall on Catra, causing her to let out a loud, drawn out gasp.

Before Catra could register what was happening, Entrapta is right in front of her, leaning in closely to her face. “Your ears are amazing! How is it that you’re in your human form, yet your ears appear as if you are still shifted? Oooh, I have so me questions! Tell me everything!”

Adora, aware of how suddenly uncomfortable Catra is, rests a hand on her shoulder, in a protective gesture. “We’ll answer all the questions you need. But, you have to help us take back our home. The Horde is after us, and knows where we live. We had to leave our house behind.”

Huntara’s eyes widen. “So, you got in some trouble with The Horde, eh?”

“Unfortunately, yes. We heard that you were planning to take them down, and we want to help,” Adora confirms.

“Hm. I don’t know how I feel about accepting help from shifters,” Huntara responds.

“Pleeeease? Think of all of the data we could collect, all of the possibilities it could serve!” Entrapta pleads, suddenly at Huntara’s side, causing the bigger woman to jump.

“It must be awful,” Spinnerella speaks up. “I think we should help them. If they wanted to hurt us, they would’ve done so already.

Netossa nods. “Hate to break it to you boss, but I’m with my wife on this one.”

Huntara groans. “Fine. But if any of you try anything, it’ll be the last mistake you ever make. Now follow us- we’ll take you to headquarters to plan our first move.”

Catra turns her head to Adora, who’s hand is still on her shoulder, gripping tightly. She gives the blonde a playful smirk. “Who’s being protective now?”

Adora only smiles, before giving Catra a short kiss on the cheek. “I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The next chapter will be up in a few days" so that was a fuckin lie
> 
> Anyway, I am terribly sorry for the hiatus! Moving and getting situated took a lot longer than expected. I'll update as often as I can, but with classes starting, updates might not be as frequent as before, but I assure you that I will do my best to get chapters out and have them be in decent quality! Thank you guys so much for following this and being patient!


	17. Uncertainties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains scenes of graphic violence, self harm and child abuse in the flashback portions.

Catra can’t help but feel a little anxious as she follows the hunters back to headquarters. She tries to tell herself that these people are trustworthy, but her gut doesn’t seem to agree with her head. Her ears flatten against her skull as she sulks near the back of the group.

“You were awfully quick to jump to the cat’s defense. Don’t tell me you’re going soft?” Huntara jeers at the front of the party.

There’s a huff in response. “Sometimes it takes true strength to do the right thing, Huntara. We’re supposed to be protectors of the city, not glorified underground sport hunters,” Spinnerella contests.

Huntara gives her a quick laugh. “You better be prepared to tell yourself that when one of those monsters inevitably flips shit and attacks someone,” she retorts before walking ahead.

Despite Huntara’s reply coming out quiet, Catra’s ears are able to pick it up. She bites the inside of her lip. It’s whatever. Nothing she hasn’t already heard before.

On the other hand, Adora seems to notice Spinnerella’s face falling slightly. The blonde gingerly walks up beside her. “Hey, I… I just wanted to say thank you. For giving us a chance. You really saved us back there,” Adora admits quietly.

The other woman turns to her and offers a weak grin. “I try to avoid unnecessary violence when I can,” Spinnerella replies. “And fighting you would’ve been pointless. I could tell you really care about her.”

Adora blushes slightly. “Yeah, I do. I’m glad at least you could see it.”

“Don’t worry too much about Huntara,” Spinnerella adds. “She may seem arrogant and standoffish at first, but she’s been through a lot. She spent most of her life fighting,” she goes on, before pausing for a moment. “We all have experienced violence and loss, to some degree, but Huntara definitely has seen the worst of it.”

At that, Adora cocks her head in curiosity. “How long have you guys been doing this?”

“Now that’s a long story,” Spinnerella starts. “Huntara’s been in the business for longer than anyone. She started this whole thing, after her service in the marines. Her and her squad were first hunters.”

“Oh,” Adora responds, a little surprised. Of course, now that she thinks about it, she shouldn’t be that shocked. Huntara seems like the type who knew how fight with a gun. “What about you? Were you in service too?”

Spinnerella laughs. “Oh, no, I could never be a soldier. I don’t really like using guns, that’s more Netossa’s job. I used to be a paramedic, so I usually patch up anyone who gets hurt.”

“Oh, you’re a medic? I am too!” Adora says suddenly. “I mean, well, I used to be.”

“That’s great!” Spinnerella replies. “Maybe you’d be able to back me up in case someone gets injured?”

Adora tries not to frown. “I’d love to, but I’m not sure how reliable I’d be. Sometimes I kinda… shut down when dealing with that kind of stuff,” she confesses, hugging herself in shame.

Spinnerella gives her a look of understanding. “It’s okay. We won’t force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with, err… I never got your name?”

“Adora. And my girlfriend is Catra, and our… friend? Is Hordak.”

Someone up ahead snorts. Adora’s eyes follow the sound, and she sees Netossa looking back at them with a raised eyebrow. “That’s rich. That’s like saying _your_ name is Humanra. Wait a sec, that doesn’t sound right. Maybe… Shera?”

Catra growls. “I don’t know why people with weird ass names keep making fun of mine, but go off.”

Netossa only rolls her eyes. “One hell of a sense of humor you got,” she replies dryly before turning back.

Adora gives Catra an amused smile. “Hey, I like your name. Even if it is kinda ironic.”

Catra gives her a huff, but there’s no hiding the small smile on her face. She thinks of a response, but is interrupted by Huntara before she can say anything.

“Alright, everybody in. It’s gonna be a tight fit, since we weren’t expecting to bring back guests,” Huntara announces as she opens the driver’s side door of a large white van.

Catra resists the urge to laugh. “Getting in a van with strangers, huh? Sounds like every suburban mom’s nightmare,” she jokes as the back doors are opened.

Huntara wasn’t lying, the majority of the back of the van is taken up by a large weapon rack and bulky equipment, leaving little room for passengers. Luckily, Catra is able to snag a spot between Adora and the wall of the van. She glances at Hordak, who seems uncomfortable as Entrapta sits next to him and gives him enthusiastic looks.

The drive itself is quiet, almost uncomfortably so. Catra eventually gets bored of watching Hordak’s misery, and stares at her own feet as her mind wanders. The adrenaline wears off, and the hindsight sets in- she’s putting her trust into a group of people who almost tried to kill her. If she makes one wrong move, these people wouldn’t hesitate to take her out. Sure, Adora would try to stop them, but she’s only one person, versus a whole team of experienced hunters. Catra shoots a quick glance at the blonde, who is twiddling her thumbs.

She begins to think back to before meeting Adora. Catra never exactly got along humans before meeting her. Scorpia was almost an exception, but other than that, Catra almost always avoided them.

…

_A younger Catra wonders why she keeps coming back to the park. She was always shy, and all of the other kids already seem to be friends with each other, so nobody ever came up to her and asked her to play. But she’d much rather come here and be alone than be at home after Shadow Weaver came back from one of her ‘nights out’. Catra sighs as she gently swings herself, feeling her ears rub against the fabric of her beanie as they fold back._

_She’s pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a girl’s giggling. Catra’s eyes flick up, and her stomach flips as she sees a group of three girls walking towards her. She doesn’t know what this feeling is. Hope, maybe? The kid in the middle is a tall, skinny blonde girl, with a ponytail so tight that it looks like her hair is about to tear out of her scalp. She scowls when she sees Catra. Catra’s eyes narrow; now the feeling is annoyance._

_“Can you move? Those are our swings,” the girl says in a shrill voice._

_Catra’s eyebrows knit. “I don’t see any names on it. Go swing over there,” she responds quietly, nodding her head over to the baby swings. “They’d suit you better.”_

_The tall girl gives her an offended gasp. “I’m not a baby!”_

_“She’s more like a baby. Look at that hat, it’s hideous!” says the girl to her left, a short, brown haired girl wearing way too much makeup for a 9-year-old._

_“Let’s just go, guys. We can go on the merry-go-round again,” says the girl on the left, a ginger girl with glasses._

_The blonde’s face twists in anger. “No. If she wants her ugly hat back, she needs to move!” She says, before quickly reaching forward and snatches Catra’s beanie off of her head. Catra hisses, and her hands fly to her ears to cover them. Shadow Weaver always told her that humans would hurt her if they saw her ears, and she definitely didn’t want these mean girls to see them._

_But it’s too late. The three girls gasp. “Is she seriously wearing cat ears under her hat? She really is a baby!”_

_“Take those, too!”_

_The blonde girl quickly slaps Catra’s hand away and grabs one of her ears before roughly tugging on it, causing Catra to cry out in response._

_“What the…”_

_Catra’s body then reacts on it’s own. Her claws unleash, and she swings out to the girl’s face. Claws meet skin, and her fingertips suddenly feel warm and wet._

_A shrill scream then pierces the air. The girl drops the hat and clutches her scrape, three claw marks just missing her eye. “She scratched me!! Get away, she’s a monster!”_

_The other girls look at her in horror, before the three of them run off screaming, probably to tell their parents. Catra sniffles before she grabs her hat off of the ground. She then begins to run back home before someone catches her. She decides to never come back to this park._

…

Catra stares at her hands as the memory fades. Her claws are drawn, and she flexes them slightly. She didn’t want to hurt the girl. She never really wanted to hurt anyone as a kid. But as she grew up, Catra found that she had to use her claws more often.

She’s taken out of her trance as Adora’s hand carefully slides in hers. “Hey, you okay?” Adora asks her.

Catra looks up at her. Normally, Catra would take comfort in Adora’s caring gaze, but after thinking about nearly taking out some kid’s eye, it just makes her feel… wrong. Undeserving. Some part of her wonders if she’ll ever accidentally hurt Adora like that. Catra takes a deep breath as she tries to push out those intrusive thoughts. “Yeah. This is all just… a lot.”

Adora gives her a nod in agreement. “I get that. Just let me know if it gets to be too much.”

Typical Adora. Always putting Catra’s dumb feelings before her own needs. For some reason, it irks Catra more than usual. “I’ll be fine,” she says simply, not wanting Adora’s sympathy.

“I thought you’d say that,” Adora sighs, “but I’m serious. Tell me if it starts to be _not_ fine.”

“I’ll really be _fine_ when The Horde is gone for good,” Catra starts, a little harsher than she means to. “Until then, what I feel doesn’t matter. Let’s just get this over with.” She begins to regret her words as she feels Adora pull her hand away.

“Okay,” Adora replies before turning away. Catra’s ears droop, and she thinks about apologizing- just because she’s being moody and doubtful doesn’t mean she can take it out on Adora, who’s done nothing but help her.

Catra opens her mouth to say something, but the van stops abruptly. “This is it,” Huntara says before exiting the van. Everyone starts getting out, and Catra awkwardly follows suit, and stands a few feet away from the crowd. The building in front of them is smaller than she expected. It looks like some kind of small office building on the outskirts of the city, rather than some secret werewolf hunter headquarters.

A hand suddenly grabs Catra’s, and she has to fight to keep herself from hissing. “Follow me, I’ll show you to the lab!” Entrapta exclaims, her other hand wrapped tightly around Hordak’s, who looks equally pleased about Entrapta’s excitement.

Entrapta begins to drag them away, and Adora starts to follow them. “Wait a sec Blondie, you’re with me. I got a job for you,” Huntara says.

Adora looks at her, and then back at Catra. “But…”

“Don’t worry, Entrapta’ll take care of her. Now help me unload the van. If we’re gonna help you, you gotta help us a little, too,” Huntara continues, and Adora gives Catra one last look before reluctantly walking over to Huntara.

As it turns out, the “lab” is just a large janitor’s closet with piles of equipment, tech, and spare parts littering the floor. There’s a small desk on the far end of the room, with various screens hung up on the walls, some displaying maps of the city, and others showing pages of statistics. “I thought nerds were supposed to be tidy,” Catra comments snarkily.

“I am tidy!” Entrapta protests as she begins to dig through a cardboard box. “Every mess has it’s own unique place and purpose!” Pieces of spare parts and junk are taken out and tossed aside. “Huntara lets me do whatever I want with this room as long as I make significant progress on my projects benefiting the team. Besides, this way, only I know how to use the lab efficiently,” Entrapta explains as she pulls out a small device that looks like a handheld scanner, as well as some medical equipment.

Entrapta then pulls out an office chair from under her desk and spins it around to face Catra and Hordak. “Alright, I think we’re set for the analysis! Hmm, I think I’ll start with… the Beta. Have a seat!”

Hordak’s eyes narrow as he looks at the chair. Catra only smirks and gestures at it with one hand. “Go on, oh mighty Beta,” she taunts, earning a snarl from Hordak. He storms over to the chair and plops down.

“Great!” Entrapta says as she picks up a voice recorder. “Okay, if anything starts to hurt, say something like, ‘Please stop, oh God the pain, please stop.’ Sound good?”

“Erm, I-“

“Fantastic!” Entrapta interjects, and presses the record button. “Ready to begin analysis on subject 514- subject claims to be a Beta from The Horde. If this is correct, the data collected from this analysis could be vital for the planned assault. I’ll start with checking the subject’s reflexes,” she explains into the recorder as she picks up a medical mallet.

Entrapta goes on to run a bunch of basic tests, and Catra feels herself growing bored as she slumps against the doorframe. Somewhere along the line, Entrapta picks up the scanner device from earlier. She points it at Hordak before a purple light shines on him for a few seconds, causing him to shut his eyes tightly. The device makes a ding before printing out a small receipt. Entrapta takes it and looks at it. “Very interesting… in human form, specimen appears to be slightly above average when it comes to size. This isn’t particularly striking, but what if the specimen was to transform?”

A few seconds of silence passes. Hordak raises an eyebrow at her. “Are you asking me to shift?”

“Oh, yes! I would like you to transform here, if possible,” Entrapta confirms.

Hordak looks around the room awkwardly. “There isn’t that much room here.”

“Oh, that’s okay! Let me just make a little room…” Entrapta reassures before swiftly pushing equipment closer to the walls and picking up spare parts, making the closet slightly roomier.

Hordak sighs. “I’m not getting out of this, am I?”

“Nope! There’s still a ton of data I can collect. You said you wanted to help us, didn’t you?” Entrapta questions, turning to Hordak with a confused expression.

“Go on, Hordie,” Catra calls out. “It’s just one transformation. Surely you can manage that?”

Catra’s teasing makes Hordak clench his fists. “Ugh, fine!” he growls, before his limbs begin to twist and he begins to grow into his wolf form. He towers above both of them, and has to crouch for his head to not hit the ceiling. After Hordak’s transformation is complete, what’s left of his clothes cling to his body in torn pieces. He stares down at Entrapta with his glowing red eyes.

“Oh _, wow_ …. This is fascinating!” Entrapta exclaims with sparkling eyes as she grabs the scanner and scans Hordak’s shifted body. She takes the receipt. “Subject’s transformed state is so much larger than average! His body seems to be in excellent shape. These results show that the specimen’s claim may very well be valid. Now, we move onto phase 2, the interview! You can transform back now if you want to, Hordak,” Entrapta says as she offers the werewolf a robe, which he hesitantly takes.

Once Hordak is back in his human body and covered up, Entrapta leans towards him and holds the recorder near his face. “Now, tell me, what was it like being a Beta for The Horde?” Hordak leans back in surprise. There’s a slight pause. “Speak into the mic when you’re ready,” Entrapta requests with a smile.

“…Well,” Hordak begins, “I was hand chosen by Horde Prime as soon as I reached maturity. It was my duty to ensure the safety of our warriors, and to dispose of anything threatening our territory. In return, I was exhausted by Prime, given all the rations I needed, as well as authoritative privileges.”

“Were these tasks challenging to you?”

Hordak scoffs. “Not in the slightest. I often found myself growing bored of how easy it was. I craved a challenge. Or… something other than doing the same duties every single day. Of course, that was before the cat and the human caught me off guard.”

“What about this Horde Prime, what’s he like?”

“Horde Prime was the mightiest among us. He doesn’t usually shift, but when he does, he is larger and more powerful than even me. He is the only one allowed to express emotion, the first one to eat, and the smartest of us. He is an excellent leader.”

“Were you close with the other wolves of your pack?”

That question makes Hordak think for a moment. “Not necessarily. It was my job to protect them, but ‘close’ isn’t exactly a word I would use to describe my relationship with the other wolves.”

“Did you ever feel lonely?”

“That- that’s not an emotion I was allowed to feel. Relationships in The Horde were limited to professional only.”

Entrapta tilts her head to the side. “Were you… happy living like that?”

Hordak doesn’t respond. He only avoids Entrapta’s gaze.

“Well… that concludes part one of this interview.” Entrapta clicks the record button twice. “Now, onto the second interview of the day! Subject 515, the werecat that invaded the butchery earlier tonight. What is your experience with The Horde?”

The sudden question catches Catra by surprise. She laughs dryly. “Nothing good, I can say for sure. With Hordak over there attacking me for just existing on his territory, and his goons shooting me and threatening Adora, I can say for sure that I wouldn’t feel bad if that entire pack died in a fire.” Catra’s violent declaration makes Hordak’s eyebrows furrow- something she said seems to strike something in him.

“And tell me about this ‘Adora’ you speak of. What is your relationship with her?”

Catra scowls at that. “Is that really necessary for your research?”

“Well, to me it’s just a little peculiar,” Entrapta answers. “Usually werecats aren’t social creatures. Most of the time they spend their lives in solitude, with the exception of mating and raising offspring.”

“Could you maybe not talk to me like I’m just an animal?” Catra growls, blushing and crossing her arms. “So far, Adora’s the only one who actually treats me like I’m a person. How’s that for your dumb interview question?”

“Excellent! I already scanned subject 515 while she was transformed in the butchery, so I will relay that information now. It seems that the specimen is recovering from a silver bullet wound at a rapid pace, which is incredible, I must say. What is a little strange are some scars on the subject’s body, most notably the ones on her chest and the one on her left ear.”

Catra rolls her eyes. “You can thank Hordak for these,” she mutters as she motions to the scars on her chest.

“Did he damage your ear too?” Entrapta asks.

The question makes Catra’s ears fold back. “…No.”

“How did that happen, then? Usually shifters are able to transform quick enough to take any damage to them in their shifted form, which is more resilient and heals quicker.”

Catra balls her fists. “I think I’m done with this stupid interview,” she hisses and quickly leaves the room.

“Hey, wait! I still have more questions!” Entrapta calls after her, before her face falls in disappointment. “Did I… say something wrong?”

Hordak looks over to her, frowning. “…I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Entrapta. That cat just has issues.”

…

Adora sets down the final box of equipment, and stands up straight before sighing. “Is that everything?” she asks as she puts her hands on her hips.

Huntara nods. “Well done. Now, come with me,” she commands before walking off.

The blonde huffs and runs after her. “Are you gonna make me do more of your chores?”

The question only makes Huntara laugh. “We’re done with the heavy-duty stuff for now. But I still need to see what you’re all about,” she explains, before opening a door to a small shooting range. “I noticed the handgun in your belt. You sure you know how to use it, Blondie?”

Adora’s eyes narrow as she looks up at Huntara with a challenging expression. “I’m probably just as good of a shot as you, if not better.”

Huntara hums as she takes a pistol from a gun rack and hands it to Adora. “Prove it.”

Not breaking her hardened gaze, Adora snatches the gun from Huntara’s hand, before taking a mag and loading the pistol. She puts protective gear over her ears, and then she raises the gun. Adora takes a deep breath, before squeezing the trigger, firing the first shot. She unloads the entire mag, shooting shot after shot at the target. The bullets rip through the paper, not one of them farther from six inches from the bullseye. Once she’s out of bullets, Adora hands the empty gun back to Huntara.

“Hm. Not bad form. Let’s take a look at the target,” Huntara commands before walking over to it, Adora following close behind. “You weren’t kidding,” Huntara starts, “Where’d you learn how to shoot like that?” She asks, turning to the blonde.

“I was a combat medic,” Adora answers. “I had to learn how to shoot a gun if I was gonna live in hostile territory.”

“Huh. Well, I gotta say, I underestimated you. Y’know, we could really use someone with skills like yours. Would you wanna stick around once The Horde is taken care of?” Huntara offers as she takes the old target down and puts a new one up.

That question wasn’t something that Adora expected. “I… I’m not sure,” Adora admits. “My home is pretty far from here. I’d leave all of my friends behind if I moved.”

Huntara clicks her tongue and leans against the wall. “Its something everyone has to go through sooner or later, leaving your home for a better opportunity,” she explains. “Maybe we could talk more about it over a drink sometime?” Huntara continues, flashing Adora a smirk.

Adora immediately picks up Huntara’s signal, and she laughs nervously. “Ah, well, that’s very kind of you, but I’ll have to pass on that one. I’m sure you’re a remarkable, passionate person, but ah, I’m kind of more into people my age,” Adora deflects. Huntara’s eyebrow raises. “…Like my girlfriend,” Adora continues.

Huntara rolls her eyes. “Oh yeah, I forgot, you got a thing with that cat. I seriously don’t get what you see in her. She’s probably killed and eaten several of her previous human ‘friends,’” Huntara growls as she crosses her arms.

Adora’s eyes widen in shock. Her mouth opens in disbelief. “Don’t you _dare_ talk about her like that!”

“Ugh, I figured you’d defend her like that. You know that little stunt you pulled at the butchery is gonna be a pain in the ass to cover, right? It’s a lot of money out of my pocket, and paperwork out of my schedule,” Huntara retorts as she puts her hands on her hips. “That _thing_ is dragging you into her violent thinking, and we’re the ones paying the price for it. Be grateful we even considered helping you.”

Adora stands up straight, yet she still has to glare up at the larger woman. “Well, I’m _sorry_ for the damage we caused, but it was the only way we knew how to reach you. And for the record, it was MY idea to invade the butchery, not Catra’s. You don’t have any idea what she’s like, or what she’s been through!” She shouts at Huntara, who stands up with a surprised expression. “All you see is that she’s a shifter, and you immediately assume that she’s some kind of monster. But you don’t know her, and you don’t know me, either!” Adora finishes, before storming off.

A scoff escapes Huntara. “Foolish girl.”

As Adora leaves, she takes a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Unbelievable,” Adora mutters to herself, and goes to find Catra. She doesn’t exactly know where she’s going, and it takes her a while, but Adora eventually is able to hear Entrapta’s voice. She follows it until she reaches an open door. Adora peers inside. Surely enough, Entrapta is inside, talking into her voice recorder. But only Hordak is there with her.

“Um… excuse me?” Adora mutters quietly.

Thankfully, it’s enough to catch Entrapta’s attention. “Hello! What can I do for you?”

“I was just looking for Catra. Is she with you?”

“I’m afraid not, she left a few minutes ago,” Entrapta responds as she turns back to one of the computer screens.

“Oh. Thanks anyway,” Adora replies before ducking away from the doorway. She sighs, and hugs herself as she walks through the building, unsure of where to even start looking. As she’s absentmindedly walking down a hallway, when she catches a glimpse of Netossa, who looks like she’s calibrating some kind of weapon. Adora bites the inside of her cheek, before timidly speaking up. “Excuse me. It’s Netossa, right?”

The woman looks up from her weapon and nods. “Yeah. What can I help you with?”

Adora, unable to help her curiosity, decides to ask, “What’s that you’re working on?”

“Just experimenting with some tools that are a little more non-lethal,” Netossa replies as she holds up the device. It looks like a gun with a very large barrel. “This one in particular shoots nets, so whatever’s in the crossfire gets tangled up in some pretty tough material, restricting their movement. Designed it myself,” Netossa explains with a proud smile.

“Wow, that’s cool!” Adora exclaims, looking at the weapon with a captivated expression. “It’s always nice to see people aiming to use nonviolent solutions.”

Netossa nods. “Yeah, I’ve had to use silver bullets on those creatures more than I’d like to admit. Watching them in pain is pretty damn disturbing, especially if they aren’t hostile,” she admits, her tone growing somber near the end. “But I have to be ready to act quick to make sure my team is safe. So I was able to clear this weapon concept with Huntara, so hopefully I won’t have to carry another one of those guns when this is finished.” Netossa looks back up at Adora. “So, did you come here just to ask about my tinkering, or did you need something else?”

Adora’s face heats up slightly. “It’s really interesting what you’re doing, but you’re right. I was looking for Catra. Have you seen her?”

The question causes Netossa to look up in thought for a few seconds. “Yeah, a few minutes ago she was headed down that hallway. Which is kinda strange, cuz the only thing down there is a ladder to the roof,” she says eventually, pointing over to a darker hallway to the left with her thumb.

“Okay, great! Thanks, and good luck with your weapon!” Adora says as she quickly heads in that direction.

…

Looking up at the night sky was always one of Catra’s favorite things about climbing after sunset. It was probably late- past one in the morning, for sure. She is curled in on herself, half of her face between her knees as her tail curls around her legs. Catra’s multicolored eyes study the few shining white specks above as her claws dig in her shoulders.

An ear flicks as Catra picks up a sound from below. Her head slightly turns to the source. Surely enough, Adora appears at the end of the ladder, pulling herself onto the concrete roof. Catra doesn’t know weather to be annoyed or relieved- she knew her time alone would be short lived.

“Catra? Are you up here?” The blonde calls softly into the darkness.

Right, Catra forgot that Adora can’t see in the dark as well as she can. She takes a moment of contemplation. “Over here, doofus,” Catra eventually responds, sitting up straighter so it’d be easier for Adora to see her.

The smile on Adora’s face is unmistakable. Catra’s heart throbs; she doesn’t deserve that smile. “Catra!” Adora exclaims as she crawls over to the brunette and sits next to her.

Catra fails to hold back a grin. “Hey, Adora.”

“What’re you doing up here?” Adora asks.

There’s a shrug in response. “Stargazing,” Catra answers.

“I see,” Adora says as she looks up at the sky along with her girlfriend. Admittedly, there isn’t that much to see, with the light pollution of the city. On the other hand, being near the outskirts made some stars visible. It’s a quiet night, other than the occasional passing car. The silence grows to the point of being uncomfortable, and Adora decides to break it. “Hey, Catra?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you okay?”

A sigh sounds through the cool air. “I don’t know. This place, these people… it’s all making me feel… wrong.”

Adora looks down. Her eyebrows knit, before she nods. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

Another moment of silence.

“Adora?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you…” Catra tightens her grip on her own shirt. The question is stupid, but she feels like she needs to ask it anyway. “Do you ever wish I was normal?”

The Blonde responds with a light giggle. “I think you already know the answer to that one. And you say I’m the dummy.”

“Can you say it?” Catra requests, her voice small. “I want to hear you say it.”

Adora turns her head to face Catra. She sees her eyes are glossy, on the verge of spilling tears. Oh. This is serious. “Catra…” Adora starts, wrapping an arm around the other woman’s shoulders and pulling her close. Catra’s head falls to Adora’s shoulder instinctively, reveling in the affection. “I don’t wish you were anything else. I love you because you’re you, Catra. Please don’t let anybody convince you otherwise, even yourself.”

Her words are enough to make the dam break. Catra’s eyes start to spill. Adora notices this, and immediately brings her hand up to Catra’s face to hold her cheek and wipe away the tears streaming down her cheek. Catra holds Adora’s hand there in place with her own. “I’m just scared that these people are gonna make you change your mind about me.”

Another soft laugh escapes Adora’s lips. “There’s no way that’s gonna happen. I’m stubborn, remember?”

It’s Catra’s turn to laugh along with Adora. “Yeah. ‘Guess you’re right about that.”

“You know it,” Adora murmers, lightly rubbing her fingers against Catra’s jaw.

Catra basks in the attention for another moment, but her face eventually falls. “I never wanted to be a shifter,” she confesses somberly. “All I ever wanted was to be a normal kid. And when I was younger, I tried…” Catra takes a shaky breath. “I tried to ‘fix’ myself.” She motions to the nick in her left ear.

…

_Catra clutches her worn out blanket as she cries. The incident at the park was the first time Catra ever hurt somebody else. She didn’t like causing pain to that girl, but the feeling of power made something inside her feel big, when she normally felt so small. It scared Catra. These conflicting feelings don’t make sense to her._

_The blood on her fingertips is dried by now. “_ Ugh! _” she cries in disgust as she tries to wipe it on the floor. It doesn’t do much. Catra huffs and sits up from her makeshift bed, before climbing down from the small attic that she made into her own space. Shadow Weaver didn’t care where Catra decided to make herself at home, as long it wasn’t in Shadow Weaver’s bedroom, so Catra preferred being in high up places._

_As Catra hops down from the ladder, her ears raise as she hears a noise coming from the entryway of the old house- something that sounds like a loud banging sound. She peers at the house entrance from a crack in the doorway. The banging sound happens a few more times, before the old wooden door finally gives way and gets busted in. In the front doorway now stands a man in all black with a hood up._

_Catra’s hands fly up to her mouth as the man makes his way to Shadow Weaver’s bedroom. She knows that she isn’t allowed to go in there, no matter what. Catra also knows that she shouldn’t bother Shadow Weaver while she’s sleeping after a full moon. She can only watch in fear and anticipation from the shadows as the man slowly turns the doorknob._

_Not even a second later, the door bursts open. The man is tossed back, and the large figure of Shadow Weaver’s shifted form hovers over him, snarling down at his form, small in comparison. The man doesn’t even get the chance to react before the panther’s teeth are around his throat, ripping and tugging harshly at his flesh. Catra whimpers as she tries to cover her ears, but she can still hear the stranger’s screams turn to gurgles as the panther crushes his entire neck._

_The stranger makes a pathetic attempt to push the large cat off of him, and in response, Shadow Weaver swipes at his body, tearing open his jacket and skin, causing blood to splash across the floor. It’s a sickening sight. Deciding that Catra’s seen enough, she quietly runs to the bathroom. She falls to the ground, trembling with fear and disgust as she holds her hands tightly against her mouth, willing herself to not cry or scream._

_Catra smells the girl’s blood on her hand and her stomach lurches. Narrowly making it in time, she hovers over the toilet bowl and empties what little is in her stomach. After heaving for a while, and nothing else comes up, she sinks back to the floor and she cries quietly to herself. Catra can only stare at her still bloodied hand as the same thoughts echo in her mind on repeat._

_She’s like that panther. She is gonna grow up to be like Shadow Weaver- hurting and killing people like that man. Her eyes catch a glimpse of something on the sink. It’s a pair of scissors. Catra forces herself to stand, and looks at herself in the mirror; her large ears droop. Maybe it isn’t too late to change herself. All she has to do is get rid of what makes her different, and then she’d be normal. Right?_

_With a shaky hand, Catra picks up the scissors on the sink. She holds her ear out with her other hand, and slides it in between the two blades. Then, she swallows thickly, takes a deep breath, and gives the handles a mighty squeeze._

_The next thing she feels is red, searing pain. She drops the scissors, and fails to bite back a loud, pained cry. Her hand flies up to her wounded ear, and she feels her own blood feel warm on her hand. Hot tears stream down Catra’s face as she tries to push past the pain, but she can’t do it. How will she ever be able to finish the job?_

_Catra hears the sound of the bathroom door opening. Her head snaps over to it in fear. The door opens, and Shadow Weaver stands in the doorway in her human state. Her mouth and hands are still stained red. Her eyes fix on the scissors, then to Catra’s injured ear. She immediately recognizes what had happened._

_“Foolish child! Are you trying to kill yourself?!” Shadow Weaver shouts as she picks the pair of scissors off of the bathroom floor. Catra doesn’t answer. She only cowers away._

_Shadow Weaver sighs. “I take it that you saw what happened with that man. Do not feel sympathy for him, Catra,” Shadow Weaver orders, her voice still flat. “He is nothing but a trespasser, who would try to kill you if he ever found out what you are. I was only trying to protect us.”_

_The woman then kneels down in front of the crying girl, and takes her by the face, forcing Catra to look up at her. “Even a mixed abomination like you is better than human scum. I do not want to see anything like this,” she starts, taking Catra’s injured ear in her hand, causing her to wince, “ever again. No food for you until you’re ready to face that fact,” Shadow Weaver commands, before dropping Catra and walking outside the bathroom. She slams the door as she goes, leaving Catra to clutch her injury and sob._

…

The memory causes Catra to grit her teeth. She almost forgot how much of a terrible person Shadow Weaver was. “So, yeah. I was a pretty stupid kid for thinking I could fix myself like that,” Catra admits, her hand coming up to brush against her scarred ear.

Adora looks at her, feeling herself start to tear up. “God, Catra, I… I had no idea,” she breathes, feeling guilty about even asking about it. “I’m so sorry.”

Catra only shrugs. “It was a long time ago, and I learned my lesson. I can’t change what I am. I just gotta deal with another ugly scar.”

Adora huffs. “We talked about how I feel about your scars,” she mutters as she pulls Catra close once again. Catra melts into the hug, and nuzzles into Adora’s shoulder.

“If you ever need me to tell you that I love you for you, I will. I’ll keep on telling you that until you believe it, and even after that,” Adora whispers into Catra’s neck. “I’ll show you again, too. As many times as you need,” the blonde continues, pulling back only to look Catra in the eyes.

It’s dark, but Adora can still see Catra’s eyes, wide and pleading. “…Even now? Here?” Catra asks, tugging softly at Adora’s jacket.

Adora offers her a smile and a nod. “If that’s what you need.”

Catra looks down, avoiding Adora’s gaze, a light blush on her face. She eventually nods. That’s all it takes for Adora to tilt Catra’s chin up and pull her in, gently slotting their lips together in a soft, tender kiss. At first it’s slow and delicate, and Adora makes sure to let Catra set the pace. It isn’t like that for long, before Catra’s pulling at Adora’s jacket again and deepening the kiss, pouring all of her emotions and passion into it. Adora’s hands slide behind Catra’s back before she pulls them even closer together.

At that moment, Catra isn’t afraid of someone walking in on them. She desperately needs this. She desperately needs Adora, one of the only constant anchors she’s ever had. Catra pulls away for air, and she can see the smokey look in Adora’s eyes. “Please,” Catra gasps, “Don’t hold anything back.”

They dive back into each other for a short moment, before Adora murmurs between kisses, “Of course. Anything you want.”

“Everything,” Catra whines, not caring about how pitiful it makes her sound. “I want everything.”

“Then I’ll give you everything,” Adora whispers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! Just shit at updating! Trying to figure out how this story's gonna end has been a little more difficult than anticipated, but thanks again for your patience! I also honestly think it's really sweet that you guys care about my wellbeing and that stuff. This is such a wholesome fandom. c:


	18. Moving out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cw- mentions of drug abuse suicidal thoughts in this chapter.

Adora never fails to take Catra’s breath away. Between the cool autumn air and the soft praises that are whispered in her ear, Catra feels herself shiver from the almost overwhelming sensations. Her eyes stay wet as the strong emotions she feels in her chest don’t fade. The fact that Adora is willing to make her feel like this outside on the cold roof fills Catra with a mixture of adoration and pride. Adora is all hers. Whenever Catra wants her, she’ll be there. Even as they go back to Scorpia’s place to sleep, Catra holds Adora as close to her as she can.

The actual planning of the attack takes a lot of time and debating. Everyone involved has different ideas and values, so it’s difficult to come up with a compromise that everyone can agree with. The planning room is littered with countless maps and charts from Entrapta’s research. Everyone is in their places, tension thick in the air as the discussion goes on. Minutes turn to hours, as the planning session turns more into a debate than anything.

“Are we sure we want to rely on the ex-beta to be the one to take down Prime? He could easily be swayed into joining their side again,” Huntara brings up at the negotiation table, earning a scowl from Hordak, who’s listening from a corner in the room.

Before he gets the chance to retort, Entrapta suddenly stands up. “It’ll be okay! I’ve done a number of tests on him within the past few days, and all of the lie detector exams I’ve done on him assures that he is at least… seventy eight percent honest!”

Everyone gives her looks. “No offense, Entrapta, but that isn’t a percentage that we can fully rely on, especially for an important mission like this” Netossa responds.

“That’s why we need a plan B,” Adora speaks up, picking a map and points to a circled area at the outskirts of Brightmoon. “We’ll go through with Hordak’s conditions, but we should also have a backup plan in case things go south. From Hordak’s input, we know The Horde’s base is between a junkyard and a power station. Maybe we can use the environment to our advantage somehow?”

Huntara gives her a short laugh. “Getting awfully bold, Blondie. You’re starting to sound like you’re trying to take control of this operation. Don’t forget who’s really in charge here.”

That causes Catra to give her a hard stare. “Yeah, like you’ve been doing any better. Maybe as this group’s ‘fearless leader’, you should actually give some constructive input, instead of just saying ‘that won’t work’ to every idea presented,” she challenges as she crosses her arms.

The leader turns to her and growls. “As if I’d take any advice from one of _you_. I’m the leader, so if I think it even has a chance of putting the team in jeopardy, it’s not happening,” she argues as she stands up tall, trying to look intimidating to the werecat.

“Ugh, just cut the crap already, Huntara,” Netossa groans as she pinches the bridge of her nose. “I don’t really trust the shifters either, but Catra has a point. All we’ve done today is argue. We haven’t gotten anywhere, and without Adora’s help we wouldn’t even _have_ a plan A.”

Huntara turns back to Netossa, and for a second a spark of betrayal flashes across her face. “Look, I just don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“People are getting hurt though!” Spinnerella chimes in. “Every day we delay the mission because the plan isn’t ready, someone else falls victim to The Horde. We all knew what we were signing up for when we agreed to be hunters.”

A moment of silence hangs heavy in the air. Huntara looks between her teammates, her eyebrows knitting and fists clenching as she thinks. “I need some fresh air. Take a five-minute break,” she eventually grumbles, sounding a little defeated, before storming out of the room.

Adora’s eyes follow her as she leaves. Something about the way Huntara acted just then seems familiar to her. “Don’t worry too much about her. She’ll come around,” Spinnerella says to her in a reassuring manner as she places a gentle hand on her shoulder. “She just worries about us sometimes.”

The memories of her old squad come back to Adora for a brief moment. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to block them. Her eyes open, and harden slightly in determination. “I’m gonna go talk to her,” Adora announces, before standing up and walking off. Catra watches the blonde go, her ears drooping slightly. She thinks back to the night on the roof. Adora meant what she said to her that night, she was sure of it. Even so, that didn’t stop the ghost of doubt creep through her mind.

…

The air outside is chilled by the night as Adora walks out the front door. Surely enough, Huntara is leaned against the concrete wall, cigarette in hand as she glares at the ground in thought. Her head turns to Adora at the sound of the door opening. She sighs. “Look, if you’re here to argue more, at least let me finish up this first,” she says before taking a drag.

“I’m not here to argue. Just talk,” Adora responds before leaning against the wall. Her hands find each other, and she twiddles her thumbs awkwardly, thinking of what to say. “I, er… didn’t know you smoked,” Adora eventually speaks up, and immediately regrets it. _Ugh, why am I so bad at talking?_

Huntara laughs dryly. “I used to smoke a lot more than just cigarettes, Blondie.”

Adora really tries to hold a poker face, but she fails. Her eyebrows raise. “Oh,” she mutters.

“It’s really not that big of a deal. It was in the past, and I was going through some shit. It’s human nature to look for some kind of relief, no matter the consequences,” Huntara deflects as she flicks off some ash.

“I…” Adora starts, looking down and remembering her own issues. “I kinda know what you mean.”

“Tch. Don’t try too hard to get all ‘relatable’ with me. You don’t know what I’ve been through,” Huntara answers flatly.

Adora huffs. “You’re right. I don’t know the first thing about your suffering. But I know what _I’ve_ been through. Every day I have to live with the choices I’ve made that ultimately got my friends killed,” she confesses suddenly, causing Huntara to turn to her, eyes wide in shock. “Every time I close my eyes, I see their blood on my hands. Some days it takes everything I got to not pick up a bottle and wash away my sorrows. Not to mention I had to throw away my future because I can’t even pick up a band-aid anymore without turning into a nervous wreck.”

Huntara’s mouth opens to respond, but it closes again, and her eyes look to the ground. Adora sighs. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t have the strength to go on. For the longest time, I thought I was just gonna end up…” she pauses to swallow thickly. “Just gonna end up giving in and ending it all because the pain was too much to bear. But then… I found someone who needed my help. And she was able to help me in return. She makes me feel like trying is worth it,” Adora continues, her eyes getting misty. “So I don’t care that she’s a shifter. Catra means everything to me.”

After Adora stops talking, a long moment of silence passes. “I…” Huntara starts, before she sighs. “Look, I’m sorry about what I said about your girlfriend. What you said… it doesn’t change my opinion on shifters. But I’ll try to start treating her with a little more respect, if she really means that much to you.”

Adora smiles a little. “I guess that’s good enough for me,” she replies. “If you don’t mind me asking… why do you hate shifters so much? Most of the ones I meet are mean, sure, but the only ones worth really hating are with The Horde.”

“Okay, don’t you go thinking just because you opened up to me means that I owe you a backstory as well,” Huntara retorts as she tosses her cigarette on the ground and steps on it.

“I never said you did,” Adora responds. “I just know firsthand that it helps to talk to someone sometimes.”

Huntara takes a minute to contemplate. “I was a Marine, before all of this. When me and my squad got sent home, we started this whole thing when a werewolf attacked our buddy. For a while, it went smoothly, but then…” Huntara takes a deep breath. “On one of our missions, two of my teammates got bit and turned into shifters. They went feral under the light of the full moon and killed the rest of the hunters before running off. I was the only one who made it out alive, and I shut down for a while before starting the whole organization up by myself.”

For a few moments, Adora is speechless. “Huntara, I… that’s such a tragedy. I had no idea, I’m sorry,” she apologizes timidly.

“Don’t be sorry, no way it’s your fault. That’s just the way life goes sometimes,” Huntara explains, her voice low and somber. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my team like that again. Maybe I’m being cowardly and paranoid when it comes to assigning them to certain duties, but… the what ifs won’t leave me alone.”

Adora’s eyes soften. She understands- how she wishes that she could turn back time and save her old teammates. The blonde thinks for a few seconds. “I understand that, Huntara. But Spinnerella was right. They’re are willing to put their safety on the line to save people, and they know that risk. Please, consider putting more faith in your teammates and understand that what happens out there isn’t _your_ fault.”

Huntara’s eyes fall once again in contemplation. She frowns to herself. “We got a mission to plan out. Let’s go back in,” she continues as she stands up straight and heads to the front door, Adora following her not far behind.

Above them, in the darkness, a pair of mismatched eyes watches from the roof.

…

When everyone returns to the meeting room, Huntara takes initiative and hears Adora out on a backup plan. It doesn’t take long to figure out a schedule, with Hordak’s information and Entrapta’s data helping them. “The next full moon is in five days. We should strike before then, so they don’t get the chance to attack anyone with that power,” Huntara suggests.

The room goes silent. “…That soon? Are we sure we’re ready for that?” Spinnerella brings up.

“We got the equipment. We got a plan. I don’t see any reason to wait longer than necessary,” Huntara answers.

“Huntara’s right, the longer we wait, the bigger of a threat The Horde could potentially pose. We should act as soon as possible,” Netossa says. “What do you think, Entrapta?”

“I haven’t calculated any issues with that plan. If we catch them by surprise, we’ll have a higher chance of success!” The scientist agrees. “All who object, speak now or forever hold your peace!”

No one objects.

“Then it’s settled,” Huntara speaks up. “We leave first thing tomorrow morning. Everyone get a good night’s sleep, you’re gonna need it.”

Everyone gets up and goes to leave the room. Adora walks up to Catra. “You ready to head out?” Adora asks, and Catra only gives her a small nod. Adora offers her hand, which Catra silently takes. The Blonde doesn’t seem to notice Catra holding onto her hand a little tighter than usual.

On the way back to Scorpia’s apartment, Adora begins to notice Catra’s silence. She taps her thumbs against the steering wheel a few times, trying to think of what to say. “You haven’t said much tonight. Is everything okay?” Adora eventually asks quietly.

She sees Catra nod out of the corner in her eye. Her focus is shifted back to the road for a few moments, before she hears, “I just… have been thinking about some stuff.”

That gets Adora’s attention- her stomach sinks a little. “What kinda stuff? Should I be worried?” Adora asks with a nervous laugh.

“Not in the way you’re thinking about,” Catra responds. Multicolored eyes flick over to where Adora is, and Catra bites her lip, thinking of how to piece together what she wants to say. “I’ve never really been afraid of death before. The only time I got close was when I got attacked by Hordak. But now, I… I’m starting to get anxious.”

“Don’t worry too much, you shouldn’t have to face a lot danger tomorrow. Besides, if things go wrong, me and the hunters will protect you,” Adora assures Catra, looking over to make eye contact for a second. Adora doesn’t see relief in Catra’s eyes- only concern.

“Adora. I’m not scared of _me_ dying.”

Oh. The realization hits Adora. Her eyebrows furrow in thought. “Don’t worry about me too much either, okay? I’ll be fine, I’ve been in dangerous situations like this before. I never really get a break, do I?” Adora chuckles. Her attempt to lighten the mood unfortunately fails, as Catra only flattens her ears and turns away. “Hey, I know it’s like, our job to worry about each other, but you’ve never brought something like this up before. Did something happen?”

Catra sighs. “It’s just… I haven’t considered losing you like that. Not until tonight. I…” Catra squeezes her eyes shut. “I heard you talking to Huntara outside. I know you said it was in the past, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if you just suddenly weren’t here anymore,” Catra admits as Adora’s eyes widen in surprise. “I know it might be selfish of me, but… I need you to swear to me that if something goes wrong, or if something tries to attack you, you won’t engage. Just run. Hordak almost killed me, and you’ve seen how durable I am. If one of them were to get to you…” Catra can’t finish the sentence as her voice gets more and more shaky.

Adora’s mind blanks out. She pulls over to the side of the road. “You… heard me say that?” Adora asks softly.

“I’m sorry,” Catra apologizes, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just wanted to go back up on the roof because I was getting stressed out.”

That isn’t something that Adora can be angry at. She doesn’t think she could be mad at Catra regardless. “Hey, it’s okay,” Adroa eventually reassures. “I probably should’ve told you about that, but it’s not something I like reflecting on,” she admits. “And also, I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, or exactly how dangerous it’s going to be. I hope the hunters and Hordak will be able to take care of it, but if they need my help, I don’t think I’ll be able to say no to that, even if it puts me in danger,” Adora explains.

The fall of Catra’s expression threatens to break Adora’s heart. “That’s what I was afraid of,” Catra mutters.

_Damn it. That obviously wasn’t the right thing to say_ , Adora thinks. “Okay, I’ll do everything I can to stay out of danger, without abandoning the mission all together,” she eventually declares. Catra doesn’t meet her gaze. “Catra… please look at me?” The blonde pleads.

One of Catra’s ears flick before she slowly turns back to Adora with teary eyes. “Do you _promise_?” She asks with a broken tone.

Adora reaches over and grabs both of Catra’s hands in hers. “I want a life with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything,” she whispers. “So I promise you, we’re going to get through this. We won’t ever have to worry about The Horde, or dumb werewolves ever again. And we’ll be happy,” Adora promises, a hand letting go of Catra’s to catch one of her tears as they fall. Adora then leans over to kiss Catra’s forehead.

“You better, or else I’m going to the afterlife myself and dragging you back,” Catra murmurs as she takes Adora’s hand in her own, keeping it on her face.

The promise makes Adora smile. “Hey, is it okay if I do something a little cheesy?” She asks she sits back, but still holds onto one of Catra’s hands.

Catra smirks. “Let’s be honest, Adora, when are you _not_ doing something cheesy?” She teases.

“Ouch. Nevermind then, I guess I’m too cheesy for you,” Adora mock-pouts, withdrawing her hand and puts it over her chest in a dramatic fashion, earning an eyeroll from Catra.

“You’re such a dork. Just do it already,” Catra laughs.

Adora gives her a smile, before reaching under her jacket and taking out her dog tags. For the longest time, she didn’t even want to look at them. To her they represented her mistakes, her curse of being an unworthy survivor. But recently she started to change her view; now, Adora sees them more of a symbol of how far she’s come since that time in her life. She takes them off of her neck, and puts them around Catra’s. “There. As a symbol of my promise.”

The metal chain feels cool around Catra’s neck. With a delicate hand, she holds the metal pieces up to get a better. It has Adora’s name on it, with a bunch of numbers Catra doesn’t recognize. Of course, Catra doesn’t fully understand the significance, but she smiles, nonetheless. “Alright. I trust you.”

…

“Man, time sure went by fast with you two staying here!” Scorpia exclaims as she helps Adora bring out the last of the luggage to the truck. “Are you guys sure everything will be okay? Do you need help with anything else?”

Adora lifts the bag into the back seat before shutting the door. “You helped us a ton just by letting us stay here. I really can’t thank you enough,” Adora replies as she turns to Scorpia with a grateful smile. Catra walks up next to her, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah. I don’t know what we would’ve done if you hadn’t helped us. If you ever need help from us, just ask,” Catra adds on.

“It’s really no problem! It was fun. But I might take you guys up on that, me and Perfuma are talking about moving in together. We’ll definitely need the extra hands!” Scorpia admits with a grin. They finish saying their goodbyes, and Catra even lets Scorpia hug her- for about five seconds. It’s a straight shot back to Brightmoon, and the sun is low in the sky by the time they get there. Adora gave Huntara the directions to her house beforehand, so they decided to make that their meeting place and temporary base.

The hunter’s van pulls into their driveway not long after Adora and Catra get out of the truck. “Any readings Entrapta?” Huntara asks once she steps out of the vehicle.

“No heat signatures detected within a one-hundred-foot radius. The house should be safe to enter,” Entrapta confirms from inside the van.

“Alright, you guys know the drill. Be on guard,” Huntara commands as she readies her shotgun and nears the doorway. The front door creaks open, and a shocking sight is shown to the group. The entire apartment is ransacked- furniture is toppled over, several of Adora’s belongings are scattered across the floor, and the walls are torn up by what appears to be werewolf claws.

“Holy shit,” Catra whispers into the uncomfortably quiet house.

Adora carefully steps in and looks around. Several of the lights are broken, and the only light in the room is coming from the sunset outside. It feels dark and wrong. She picks up a broken picture frame on the floor- it’s a picture of her, Bow and Glimmer at the beach. An old picture, but a nice memory. Adora feels a pit in her gut as she starts to think about her friend’s safety. “This is… awful. What am I gonna say to my landlord?” She mutters to herself.

She feels a hand grip her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll cover the damages. Just be glad you weren’t here when the dogs found this place,” Huntara reassures Adora before going to the kitchen table, which is on it’s side. She picks it back up and moves it to the center of the table. “The map?”

On que, Entrapta unrolls a large piece of paper, depicting a map of the town and the surrounding forests. “From Hordak’s information, I was able to triangulate The Horde’s location,” Entrapta begins to explain as she takes out a marker and circles an area on the map. “Their base appears to be not too far from this area, around a mile south. This explains why their forces were so active around this area. Hordak was also able to give me their patrol schedule,” Entrapta goes on, taking out a clipboard and flipping through the papers. “According to these records, a party of officers come around this area every two hours, their next patrol should be concluded in around thirty minutes from now.”

“That gives us more than enough time to prepare,” Huntara responds as she begins to hand out supplies. “Remember, once we reach their territory, we split up in teams. Our main objective is to get the ex-beta to Prime unharmed. Until that happens, stick together, and whatever you do, do not attempt to fight one of these guys. Save your bullets for emergencies,” the leader goes over the start of the plan. She eventually reaches Catra, narrowing her eyes before offering a pistol and a handheld radio.

The gesture takes Catra by surprise. “You’re giving me that?” She questions.

“Look, I may not trust your kind, but I’d rather you have a gun to use as a last resort rather than shifting and causing a wreck,” Huntara admits.

Catra raises an eyebrow. “I don’t think I know how to use it.”

“Ugh, just aim and pull the trigger, kitty. Now take the damn pistol,” Huntara complains as she shoves the items in Catra’s hands, much to Catra’s annoyance.

Once the supplies and weapons are distributed, Huntara leads the rest of the hunters outside. Catra begins to follow them, when she notices Adora still looking around the house. Catra’s ears droop, before she walks up to Adora. “You okay?” she asks softly.

Adora looks at her, and nods. “...Yeah. I’ll be fine, we can fix this. I’m just ready for all of this to be over,” Adora laments as she sets the broken picture on the counter.

“No kidding. I was hoping to relax a little once we were moved back in, but now it looks like we just have a lot of cleanup to look forward to,” Catra complains as she observes the mess around them. Catra takes note of the still crestfallen expression Adora wears. “Hey, no offense or anything, but your house was due for some redecorating anyway. And you heard what that meathead said, they’ll cover it.”

That’s a good point. “Look at you, being the optimistic one,” Adora jokes as she turns towards Catra. She holds out her arms, and Catra eagerly steps into the embrace. “Thanks, though. I appreciate you trying to cheer me up.”

Catra chuckles. “It just feels when you’re not all cheerful and shit. Being gloomy is my job.”

“Hey, hurry up you two! We’d like to leave _today_!” Huntara calls from outside.

Begrudgingly, Catra steps outside, with Adora following close behind. The group decided that walking there would draw less attention to themselves, so everyone took everything they needed on their person. It’s a long walk through the forest, but eventually, they make it to the edge of the power station. The group is currently kneeled behind some shrubbery. Huntara takes out a pair of binoculars from her bag and peers through them. “The coast is clear from where I’m standing. Entrapta?”

There isn’t an answer. Huntara takes the binoculars away from her face. “Entrapta! What are the readings?” she hisses.

“That… that can’t be right. My tracker pad is picking up two distinct heat signatures that are definitely of shifter origin slowly headed this way. But they aren’t scheduled to be here for another hour and forty minutes,” Entrapta explains quietly as she pokes around on the tech in her hands. “Unless… the schedule Hordak gave me was wrong?”

Huntara’s face twists in a scowl. She aims her shotgun barrel right at Hordak’s chest. “What are you trying to pull?” she demands quietly.

“This is not my doing, I swear! They must’ve changed the schedule after I was exiled,” Hordak defends himself, putting his hands up.

The hardened expression on Huntara’s face doesn’t fade. “If you’re lying to me, I will put a hole through your chest, right here, right now. Mission be damned,” she spits.

“It doesn’t matter right now! We need to do something about that patrol, or they’re gonna find us!” Netossa whispers. “I can sneak to the other side and get a good shot on one of them with the net gun, and we can interrogate him and get an updated schedule. Huntara, you _have_ to be ready to take care of the other one.”

Huntara growls, before lowering her shotgun. “Fine. Get in position.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short chapter, but I should hopefully be able to get the rest of the chapters a little quicker, since classes are ending. My plan is for the finale to be in two parts, with maaaybe an epilogue, so expect at least three more chapters after this one.


End file.
